How to make new Couple friends??

[Aliciac]

Okay I'm gonna reply to this too, just incase anyone from Albuquerque, NM is reading.
We are in the same boat!!
Alicia

[Twinkle Toes]

Originally Posted by Alinan

We just moved to a new area and are a couple who is happily married and we would like to make new couple friends. As we both work and have kids we are very busy. We are not church goers to that is not an option. Does anyone have suggestions where we can go or what we can do to meet other local couples to socialize with?

I can suggest what NOT to do ... NO CUDDLE PARTIES!!!!!

[Pikantari]

When my ex and I moved to a new neighborhood with the kids, we met other couples through interacting in the neighborhood with the kids activities. You have found someone who already has one thing in common with you... children.

If the kids are just outside playing with other kids in the neighborhood there is your opportunity. Step outside and introduce yourselves to the other parents. Hi, I am __________'s Mommy. Looks like they have a good time playing together. We're new here, whats to do around here?

Or whatever... that is just an example.

[WyoNewk]

My wife and I joke all the time about having no friends other than each other. It's not so bad; we can have a party and invite all our friends every night of the week. The only ones who show up are her, me and the cat. We can afford that!

The truth of the matter is that we don't really want any close friends. I've lived in the same small town for 35+ years, know tons of people, and I used to be very active socially, but now we just enjoy our quiet time with each other and aren't willing to trade it for anything.

[mommytotwo]

we are also in a new area and through the kids activities I have met a couple people who, with their spouses might be good Couples friends.

At my DD's dance place, I have befriended a woman, and sometimes the husband brings the girl, so I know him a little too. I do intend to have them both over as he seems a good match for my husband. They seem to have a lot in common and would get along.

The other couple we could have over too but I don't foresee him being "best" friends w/my DH but good company just the same.

I think it's hard because that is four people that have to like one another, made harder by the fact that if you've met the wife, doesn't mean the husband is going to be someone you want to be friends with also, or vice versa.

I don't know how else to make couples friends, other than through my kids.

Although, what happens if you become friends with some couple then your kids don't really want to be friends as they get older, well what to do then I am really not sure (was thinking about this the other day myself)

[HookTheBrotherUp]

I live in Houston and I've never heard of this problem, in fact, most people make friends rather quickly on their block. Even faster if in a new subdivision where no one has any friends.

This may seem old fashioned, but you might ask your neighbors over for a bbq one day. I'm not saying you have to drink, but if you drink beer/wine, even better as that tends to break the ice and after a couple of beers, most people open up.

Now, if you have a neighbor with tattoos on his/her neck, well, what I said above may not apply.... not that there is anything wrong with tattoos.

[mommytotwo]

Has it occurred to anyone that we all might not have that many friends because we don't throw enough parties?

A barbecue is a great way to make friends... esp if you have kids. Hell invite all the kids friends over with their parents and see what happens!

I know it's hard because who has the time for a bunch of hang out parties, but really do we think we are going to BAM make friends with someone we see for two minutes a day when we pick our kids up from school?

Looking at my own situation, the only friends we could possibly make would be through the kids, or my DH's work, and there are just not that many people he works with.

Boy, that sucks!

Thank god I moved back near my family so I have my relatives (my cousins are my best friends) to hang out with, with DH or not.

The last place we lived any couples friends we had were through DH's work but there were just not that many occasions we hung out, mostly just holidays.

Yes, I am thinking that parties/dinners/barbecues are the way to go to get couples friends............

I love the person that said go to church just for the social aspect, God won't mind. LOL!

[HookTheBrotherUp]

Since mommie' mentions the same thing, I guess I can say what my wife and I have done in the past.

We had parties! Just like mommie' said. However, not only did we invite the neighbors, but we strategically invite people. For example, I have a couple of friends who are sports fanatics, I am not. However, I had friends from work who I would say hello to, but did not know well, and they were sports fanatics.

I also have a friend who loves water sports, I don't have a boat, but I invite another friend who has a boat also. When these people got together, you could not stop their conversations for anything. These were couples also, BTW, some with kids, some not. We always make it a party for kids too, we always rented a bouncer of some sort. We have kids too.

The fruits of all that is that we made friends, even though we had not much in common, they just got to know us by hanging out, which would never have happened unless we invited people over. We did not feel that we had to entertain them the entire time since there were many people to talk to, and different backgrounds, etc.

Since I am on a roll here, I'd also say that we've hosted parties where everyone spoke Spanish, since my wife is from Spain, and I am Hispanic. We invited people from Colombia, Mexico, Chile, Buenos Aires, Honduras. Now these were always the best parties.

The other side to all of this is ironic, we are busy already with our lives, our kids lives, we both work, but we get invited to parties often, but a lot we have to turn down. Sometimes we don't intend on going, but make an appearance just so we are not "forgotten". It's like we have a movie we want to watch, but we say let's eat dinner, stop by the party, say hello, then leave and get back home to watch the movie. People understand.

I think people are always skeptical of other people, at least here in the US. It is not at all like this in Spain, we get invited to dinners, parties, etc. from my wife's family's neighbors all the time.

Here is what I know works... when with casual friends, and when everyone is sharing a moment of laughter, for whatever reason, immediately after the laughter subsides, BAM! Mention that you and your SO will be going out to eat someplace casual, inexpensive, and then ask the other couple if they would like to meet you there. It removes any inhibition of being stuck at someone's house if you do not hit it off, and there are many other strangers there as well. I think you would be surprised at the response of people. I'd bet that many people would take it as a compliment to be invited to a dinner since it is rare that this happens.

If they say no, or if you don't hit it off, what have you lost? Absolutely nothing, and you will be remembered as the one who reached out.

[Louie90]

I have this problem except that my husband and I are very young and don't have any children. His whole world revolves around military and I work nights. We don't have much time to throw ourselves into mixers or meet and greets. We have been here for over a year and still don't know a single couple! Not sure where to even start!

[natalayjones]

Originally Posted by Alinan

We just moved to a new area and are a couple who is happily married and we would like to make new couple friends. As we both work and have kids we are very busy. We are not church goers to that is not an option. Does anyone have suggestions where we can go or what we can do to meet other local couples to socialize with?

It's hard to make couple friends. I pretty much gave up on my end because my boyfriend never likes anyone so I have my girlfriends and then when he makes a friend I socialize with the friends girlfriend.

i wish you luck