8 ways to meet other parents
Make real-life connections with our top picks for sites that help parents meet up in person
Parenthood can be a very social time of life. It becomes easier to connect with others because you have a profound, universal experience in common.
Parents often find their biggest support in community. Social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook are easy releases for moms and dads who need a quick community fix before wiping another bum. Other community sites make conversation and connection with parents in similar situations just a click away.
But sometimes you’ve just got to get out of the house! This is why sites that bring parents in the same geographical areas together in real life are such a great idea. Here are some of the most popular.
This site is the most well-known meet up site. It doens’t just cater to parents, but its parent groups are strong and perhaps the most popular around. You can find a Meetup.com group in your area by going straight to the site, typing in “mom” or “dad” (for example) as your topic of interest, entering your postal code et voila ― an array of wonderful groups of all kinds (including gay-parent groups, single-parent groups, parenting-over-40 groups, etc.) in your very own vicinity.
Weewelcome.ca’s primary objective is to help you “have a baby and a life.” This comprehensive site offers (and features) not only parent groups across Canada, but also parent meeting places and events (including Momstown.ca events, see below) ― so you’re not necessarily always tied to the same group of people. The various search and browse options make joining or creating parent groups and finding exactly what you need pretty much anywhere in Canada a cinch.
Momstown is specifically for Canadian moms. The site’s design is welcoming and offers an online calendar of Momstown-organized events, as well as 24-hour message boards (for night feeders!) and opportunity for exclusive membership that offers discounts and additional perks.
Multiple Births Canada is a reputable organization specially designed to support, educate and unite parents of multiple babies. The website lists the contact information and websites of several chapters across Canada.
With more than 200 groups across Canada, this beloved organization offers breastfeeding moms monthly meetings, a magazine and convenient access to experts. They also provide discounts on breastfeeding products and on all LLL publications and conferences. An ideal place for like-minded moms going through similar experiences to meet, connect and support each other.
This community is a chapter of the popular International Moms Club, which focuses specifically on stay-at-home moms. So far Calgary’s the only Canadian chapter, but you can change that...!
There’s clearly no shortage of opportunities for Calgary parents to meet. While the Calgary Moms site is considerably more developed than the Dads site, they are both devoted to connecting Calgary moms and dads. The large forums encourage parents to join and (when comfortable) facilitate play dates, playgroups, moms’ or dads’ nights out, parents’ nights out, special events, fitness challenges and more. The Calgary Moms site offers a premium membership for $20 per year.
If you live in the Greater Toronto Area, this site is well worth checking out. It’s run by a very organized group of women dedicated to having fun, fundraising for important causes, staying fit, supporting each other and connecting through their children. Their four programs allow moms to choose exactly what kind of experience they want to have: women with small children MumNet; women with big kids MumVet; fitness lovers NetFit; and a group specifically for working moms MumExec. There are great opportunities here to do big things and meet other moms. Check it out!
This is just a start! If you know a great online resource for meeting parents in your area, please add them in our comment section below.
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