[melhuber]

Hello!

We just relocated to Southington,CT in November. We have a 2nd grader and a 5 year old who will be entering K in September. We would like to make new friends that have kids as well but we don't know where to start. We live on a street where there is only one other family with children and they are never home. My husband works days and I work evenings so that doesn't help. How did you meet new people when you changed states?

Thanks
Mel

[njohnson]

How about the parents of other children in your child's classes? I know when I was a child my mom befriended many of the other moms and still talks to some of them to this day.

Maybe have your child's classmates over for a party (we all know children love parties) and invite the parents as well. Then you will get on the "list" and they will reciprocate and badda bing badda boom there you go. Pretty soon you'll be at Chuck-E-Cheese parties and all that good stuff. Children's activities can also be a good place to introduce yourself. Do your children play any sports perhaps?

[kristiv]

Most schools , especially at the elementary level, welcome parental involvement. Find out who the class parent is and ask how you can help. You may also want to see if there is a Newcomers Club that you can join. They have social activities for people who have been in town for 5 years or less. Kids sports is another good way to meet people since you spend a lot of time on the sidelines or waiting during drop off and pick up. I moved to Ridgefield from the CT shoreline 19 years ago and didnt know anyone until I started becoming involved. Now I sell real estate and help people who are new to town get settled.

[Torrey]

Clubs! That's a good way to meet new people. What interests do you have, and are there local clubs you can look at joining? The same goes for the kids - Boy Scouts, Cub Scouts, DeMolay, Girl Scouts, Rainbow Girls, Brownies etc....

Is your husband into guns or hunting? Shooting for recretation such as skeet? How about your own interests, you could possibly find a local club that has your interest and you could make some new friends there.

Good luck.

[gomet]

At the parks in your town. Now that the weather is warming up, you should see alot of kids with their parents in the parks. Also, if your kids sign up for some sports activities, you should see the parents their as well, for example little league, tee-ball, soccer, etc.

Don't worry you will find plenty of kids.

[Whalehead]

in no particular order..we
1-signed the kids up for swim lessons at the Y,as the kids swam we spoke to other parents
2-attended the "family" Mass at our church,met many other families
3-joined "newcomers", they are generally in the phone book
4-went to local park, hung out with kids at the swing set, met a few parents that way, and the kids had fun too!
good luck!

[mels]

I don't have any kids, but I would imagine you could meet a lot of parents through school and their activities. I grew up in CT, moved around the country a bit, then settled down in a different part of CT. The various ways I have met people (in CT and in other states) were from work, dog parks (dog owners are a chatty bunch!), and clubs. I know in my area there are clubs for hiking, hunting/fishing, skiing, junior womens club, an arts council, library book clubs...just find an area you are interested in, I am sure there will be a local club for it.

[Tricia911]

Church
School PTO
Volunteering

CT can be hard to make friends in, you just have to try a little harder here then most places.

[cool_mommy]

Check out the local chapter in your area by looking online. It is primarily a group of stay at home mothers but I know our local group would also welcome moms (and dads) who were home during the day. It was a great way to meet other parents and for the kids to make friends.

[sun]

What most parents have in common are the schools. New people have to be somewhat assertive in order to meet new people. Drive the kids to school sometime instead of putting them on the bus, and meet some of the other parents who drive their kids to school. Some of the parents who are school volunteers or involved with the PTA/PTO can be found at the schools planning events and volunteering more often. Attend these events as often as you can. You children will make friends with others who don't live on your street, and they will want to visit each other in their free time, and then you'll meet their parents.
Friends don't need to live next door, but if you make the extra effort to meet all of your neighbors and parents of your children's aquaintances, progress will be made.
Both parents will make friends with people on their jobs, and through various organized activities. It really helps to join a club or two that you might have a natural interest in. There's gun clubs, golf clubs, archery ranges, church groups, sporting leagues, auto, bowling, art, library, nationality, political, even government meetings. As kids get older they start to collect cards and games which they play and share with others, so all of this takes time. The less free time a person has, the longer it might take to get around to making close friends. You'll make lots of aqauintances, close friends sometimes take longer to make. But once you make one good friend, then it becomes easier to join an entirely new circle of friends.