Five Ways to Love on Your Mama Friends!

I am a new mama, and I will be the first to admit that this is one of the hardest gigs that I have ever had. I have had a lot of jobs over the years... Some days I feel like a rock star, but most days I feel like I am the worst mama in the world. I don't have it together and I have a lot questions about things that other parents magically know. This post is inspired by a conversation that I had with acquaintances that don't have kids or weren't sure how to weather the newest things going on in their friends life... here are some ideas that I had about how to love on your friends who are new/ first time parents.

1. Leaving my house on a Friday night is too much work! After a crazy work week quite honestly it is the last thing that I want to do most weekends. However, I would love it if a friend wanted to come to my house! There are a lot of things that we can do after Little Man goes to bed... TV marathons, watch movies, craft, or even just surf YouTube and Pinterest together. Quite honestly any movie that you want to watch that has come out since 2013-- I probably haven't seen it yet. Bonus points if you bring pizza, a snack, or wine.
2. Send your friend a text/ Facebook message, or call them on your lunch break. If their lunch times doesn't align with yours leave a fun message. I am not always great about contacting friends, because I feel like half of my brain is missing most days, but I feel so loved when someone takes the time to connect.
3. When my son was three weeks old one very brave friend came for the weekend. She was there to meet my son and help me out. She did things really basic things like washing dishes or snuggling my son so I could shower or nap. It was phenomenal! She even volunteered to get up and feed him a bottle one night so that I could have extra rest. This was a huge thing for me, because part of recovering is trying to figure out how you are going to do it all. Ask her specific questions like can I vacuum for you or do you need milk at your house. It makes all of the difference in the world.
4. Invite your friend and her kid(s) out do something. The reality that a lot of people won't get out of the house without their kid(s) very often... your friend needs adult conversation! IF you invite may family to some sort of gathering, you are providing them with an outlet and that much needed adult time without the guilt.
5. Make a conscientious effort to talk about something that has nothing to do with be a parent. It is great to get advice on that stuff but sometimes I just want to talk about anything else. I don’t want to lose sight of who I was before my bundle of joy entered my world.

Nothing lasts forever, and this zombie like state that your friend might be in will eventually disappear. What kinds of things do you do with your friends who are new/ first time mamas?