I found a good friend group of families with similarly aged children within walking distance of my home. We meet up maybe once a week at one of the local restaurants with patio space and let the kids play while we catch up. That space of 2-3 hours does triple duty: catching up with friends, getting the kids out of the house to do high energy activities with friends, and feeding everyone for dinner on a weeknight.
Having that kind of social group is key. My parents had church, but I’m not religious, so it was important to at least find a way to replicate that social sense of community somehow when I had kids.
I found a good friend group of families with similarly aged children within walking distance of my home. We meet up maybe once a week at one of the local restaurants with patio space and let the kids play while we catch up. That space of 2-3 hours does triple duty: catching up with friends, getting the kids out of the house to do high energy activities with friends, and feeding everyone for dinner on a weeknight.
Having that kind of social group is key. My parents had church, but I’m not religious, so it was important to at least find a way to replicate that social sense of community somehow when I had kids.