So, you’ve joined a MOPS group and met some amazing mom friends that you look forward to seeing at your meetings every week (or every other week). But now, you’re wondering how to take those friendships to the next level. How can you turn your MOPS friends into your ride-or-die mamas, the women you call on in good times and in bad? Here are a few ideas. 

  1. Go first. It’s going to be uncomfortable putting yourself out there, but someone has to do it. So why not you? As Jon Acuff said, “Give others the gift of going second.” Going first means sending out the text to see if anyone would be up for meeting at a playground with the kids later. It means inviting a mom and her kid(s) over to your house for a playdate. Keep throwing out the invites; don’t wait for someone else to initiate! 
  1. Organize some kind of monthly gathering. Why not start a monthly book club and ask the moms in your MOPS group to join? Or a supper club? Monthly gatherings are a good and consistent way to get everyone together. And if you schedule the monthly meetings on a morning when the kids are in preschool or on an evening when the kids are down and husbands are at home, you can get some kid-free time to talk and get to know each other better! 
  1. Think of ways to include other moms in your regular routine. Do you go to a yoga class every Monday night? Tell your MOPS friends about it and see if they want to join! Do you go to Costco every Wednesday morning after drop-off? Invite another mom who loves Costco to join you! Do you take your kids to a weekly art class? See if other moms might be interested in signing their kids up too. Make it a regular date! 

It’s safe to say that most moms feel pretty lonely and isolated, and they’re probably wondering the same thing you are: how can I take my friendships to the next level? All it takes is for someone to go first. Be that person! 


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