Staying Connected While Mothering

The following is an excerpt from my interview with Sherry Kyle on my podcast, You’ve Got This.

Moms can feel really disconnected from other women, whether they stay home with the kids, work from home or work outside the home. Being a mom today can be rather lonely. “I think it’s partly because social media is great for a quick contact but it’s not great for that deeper connection,” said Sherry Kyle, who writes books for tween girls, including the recent True Heart Girls Devotional, and novels for women. “It’s easy to feel like we’re connecting, but we’re really not.”

Human interaction is essential to our well-being as mothers, but that can be hard to maintain as a new mom. Here are some suggestions to make finding friends easier as a mother.

Join a group. Opportunities abound for moms to meet other moms through mommy groups, MOPS, and Bible studies. “Meet moms at the park or at church—it doesn’t matter where, but it is important for moms to get out of the house,” Kyle said.

Let go of perfection. We often feel intimidated when we encounter other moms who seem more together than we are. “The whole idea of being the perfect mom isn’t viable,” she said. “We need to all realize we’re doing our best for our families. … Be just you.”

Be willing to mentor. If you’re a mom with older kids, look for opportunities to encourage newer moms. “When you see that younger mom at the park or church, ask her how she’s doing. Listen and encourage,” Kyle said. “They want to hear what life was like for us and how we made it through, but keep it positive.”

Connect with God when you can. Often, when my kids were little, my best praying time was in the shower or washing dishes. “I found that reading the toddler Bible to my child was beneficial to me spiritually,” Kyle added.

Don’t focus on the flaws. We can often think our imperfections are glaringly obvious to others, but that’s usually not the case. “Other moms aren’t noticing your flaws, so don’t obsesses about them when you’re with other moms,” Kyle said.

To hear more great advice and stories from Sherry Kyle, listen to “The Mom Connection” from my “You’ve Got This” podcast.