Social Life

[My3cents]

Nice, thanks a lot for the tips.

I am also extremely shy, one of my biggest problems is the language, I can handle speaking in English to 1-2 people that I know at a time, but put me in a group of strangers that speak English and I will forget every single word of English I know,is terrible. My other problem is that my close friends are back home, here only people I met during my last job before home DC so is not like I have close friends or a chance to make them. But I am going to look to the class thing, I think it might help a lot. I also have to find energy, because maybe doing activities with my child like going to the park might help as well, but I am always so tired after DC that I just want to do NOTHING and my child pays for it Thanks again for tips and keep posting so I can get more ideas.

This is me.........come closing time I just want to veg,drained. The thoughts of pulling out a project equates to toy picking up or dc messes and I dont want to clean up one more thing- I am quiet until I get to know someone well.

[Sugar Magnolia]

Ok, I admit I'm a little odd, but I also use my hobby to spend time away from daycare, my own family and especially my husband. (not trying to be mean, but I work with my husband and we need apart time). I go to the beach and do sand sculpture. This always generates conversations with others. Nothing gets people interested more than 5 foot tall sand sculptures! Some people just say hello, some take pictures,.some sit down and talk to me for an hour. It gets me outside, it gets me exercise (its very strenuous, trust me wet sand is heavy), it gets me taking to people, and most of all, it makes me happy to create things. The point is, I guess, to find a hobby that maybe gives you some social interaction, maybe fresh air too. Yep, sand is my thing. And motorcycles. You just have to find your "thing".

[EntropyControlSpecialist]

Monday nights - Bible study for 1 hour with a small group of women. lovethis
Saturday nights - Divorce life group at Church for 1.5 hours.
Sunday mornings - Church and chatting with friends.

Those are my definite weekly things. Otherwise, I text message friends daily, Facebook message those that don't enjoy texting, invite others to go to dinner/come over and watch a movie/go run some errands together/etc. I try and hang out with 1 friend each week. If I didn't do these things, the only interactions with adults I would have is with my clients and while some of them are nice they are certainly not my friends.
I moved to this little community almost 1.5 years ago (a little under) and those are the people I do my Bible study with! I also attend Church with them about 20 minutes away in a larger community. The friends I hang out with live in the next town over or even 30 minutes away. It's worth it to me. If you are married or in a relationship, have a date night once a week! MANDATORY!

I am a homebody and very introverted and pretty awkward (hey, Asperger's!) but I find that I get depressed if I am not interacting with other adults. God made you so that you need community and fellowship. We aren't meant to live life alone.

[EntropyControlSpecialist]

I have 2 very good friends that also do childcare. We make a point of planning things.If we don't time slips by and we do nothing. our kids are grown but it seems now grand kidsare the problem. 1 has a dd just graduated nursing school ( single parent) and my ds ( single parent ) is going back to school.

get involved with a church and a group in the church. maybe the ladies that always volunteer in the kitchen.

Oh yes! I met a wonderful provider on this very board who lives less than 5 miles away in another small community near mine. We meet once a month. She is teaching me to crochet!!! happyface

[rmc20021]

Gives me an idea...anybody on here from sw part of MI, between Kalamazoo and St. Joseph?

Would love to meet locals face to face...just remember I'm a little older than the average provider but I really don't act or feel my age (ok, maybe if I have to shovel snow or carry a heavy 3 year old across the ice from her bus)

[Sugar Magnolia]

Willow, you sound fun! Except for the jigsaw puzzles! ::

[Brooksie]

Social life? Whats that?! haha just kidding. :: Join your local Child Care Association! Not only do you get free training but you can meet new people that are also dealing with the same things you are. They generally meet once a month with a few month break throughout the year. I know a lot of people that take their groups and meet up at the park, or go on walks together. Seems like a great way to meet people with common interests.

[MNMum]

I'm in the too exhausted to motivate in the evenings group... We moved back to my hometown to be closer to family and my childhood friends about 1.5 yrs ago. Well, I honestly don't see any of them more often than I did when we lived an hour away. I need to make friends who are in the same stage of life. One of these friends now has a baby, but she works evenings. My extent of spending time with her is when she picks up said baby at 10pm on Thursdays. The other friend has turned into a hermit and won't leave her dog...and its chaos bringing my 3 kids to her place.

I find it is hard, though. I don't really fit in with the SAHMs or the WOHM. My husband and I each have a few different work ventures and at times we are really busy, so I don't make the best friend! We are lucky enough to have old friends with kids that understand, and we see a few couples about 2x/year. I think what I am missing is the "daily" or "weekly" friend.

Springtime will give me more motivation to get out.

How bout everyone's husbands? What do they do for their "me" time? My husband doesn't really have a hobby. He wanted to join a Jujitsu class when he first returned from deployment, but I shot that down as it would require a 6AM class a few days/week and it was ridiculously expensive. We joined the YMCA (the entire family) for less than that cost.

[Meeko]

I'm very active in my church and so have many friends around the neighborhood.

Since my "dental dilemma" on January 25th we have had 8 evening meals delivered for my family, numerous phone calls offering to run errands, clean house etc. Several of the gals got together and sent a huge bouquet of flowers. Ice-cream has been delivered and homemade apple sauce. I missed a "get together" evening last week. They were swapping smoothie recipes and learning about various topics. They brought me over several smoothie samples and all the recipes for me to try later.

I love 'em all!

[MarinaVanessa]

can you share pictures of your doll houses- neat hobby

Sure I'd love to ... any excuse to show off my "precious's" . I'll take some and load them later today (one is in the garage and one is upstairs).

But I have to warn you, they're not yet "pretty". I've only just finished the shell on both of them (meaning it's just wood right now, no windows, no doors etc). I'm barely at the primer and paint part .

[Willow]

Willow, you sound fun! Except for the jigsaw puzzles! ::

Ya only live once so why not??!

I love that you do sand sculpting. I've never heard of such a thing before


(Puzzles + wine = lovethis Even a 500 piecer can become quite an adventure under such circumstances )

[Meeko]

Ya only live once so why not??!

I love that you do sand sculpting. I've never heard of such a thing before


(Puzzles + wine = lovethis Even a 500 piecer can become quite an adventure under such circumstances )

I LOVE puzzles! I find that and cross-stitch very relaxing.

[Willow]

How bout everyone's husbands? What do they do for their "me" time? My husband doesn't really have a hobby. He wanted to join a Jujitsu class when he first returned from deployment, but I shot that down as it would require a 6AM class a few days/week and it was ridiculously expensive. We joined the YMCA (the entire family) for less than that cost.

My hubby is addicted to his job.

If he HAS to have free time he indulges in the same things I do......well, except for the "gluesticks." He doesn't quite understand my obsession with all things equine

He used to be huge into sports but I'm not sure there's any amount of money that could get him to actually work out for get in shapes sake now. He quite likes being "fluffy," says it keeps him warmer in the winter ::

*I* would love to try Jujitsu if it was offered around here . I did look into kick boxing classes last summer but just couldn't make the commitment at the time. I love higher intensity workouts, all that stuff is about as high intensity as you can get!

[Sugar Magnolia]

I'm in the too exhausted to motivate in the evenings group... We moved back to my hometown to be closer to family and my childhood friends about 1.5 yrs ago. Well, I honestly don't see any of them more often than I did when we lived an hour away. I need to make friends who are in the same stage of life. One of these friends now has a baby, but she works evenings. My extent of spending time with her is when she picks up said baby at 10pm on Thursdays. The other friend has turned into a hermit and won't leave her dog...and its chaos bringing my 3 kids to her place.

I find it is hard, though. I don't really fit in with the SAHMs or the WOHM. My husband and I each have a few different work ventures and at times we are really busy, so I don't make the best friend! We are lucky enough to have old friends with kids that understand, and we see a few couples about 2x/year. I think what I am missing is the "daily" or "weekly" friend.

Springtime will give me more motivation to get out.

How bout everyone's husbands? What do they do for their "me" time? My husband doesn't really have a hobby. He wanted to join a Jujitsu class when he first returned from deployment, but I shot that down as it would require a 6AM class a few days/week and it was ridiculously expensive. We joined the YMCA (the entire family) for less than that cost.

Since my husband works at our center too, he.also values his me-time. Motorcycles. Big time. All motorcycles, all the time. Big boy toys.
And Big Girl toys! My other car is a Ninja. Zoom.

[MarinaVanessa]

Since my husband works at our center too, he.also values his me-time. Motorcycles. Big time. All motorcycles, all the time. Big boy toys.
And Big Girl toys! My other car is a Ninja. Zoom.

I do quads with the hubs and although we don't hunt (hubs has never had an interest in it) we do share a love of fire arms and the shooting range. We each have two handguns and an AR-15 . I'm glad I'm not the only one that shares their husband's love of "boy toys" ::.