Who do you call on when the day goes from bad to worse? For me, my parenting circle is quite honestly my lifeline. My mommy friends have been truly there for me. They tell me when I’m doing a good job even when I’m having a terrible day. We navigate the highs and lows together. They celebrate my small wins. They make me feel like I matter. Yes, we need to bring up our kids well but we parents also need to be looked after, coached, strengthened, and protected. A coming together of parents can feel transformative.

International Day of Friendship is celebrated on the 30th of July each year. The day was established by the UN General Assembly in 2011 as a way of bringing communities, countries, and cultures together. What a great time to celebrate your parenting circle! Here are a few ways you can sprinkle some love on your nearest and dearest.

International Day of Friendship – Ways to Celebrate Your Parenting Circle

Have a meal out without the children

Organize a brunch, picnic, or dinner date with your parenting circle to celebrate getting this far. Tell each other some lovely things. When were you proud of them? When did they make you laugh? How have they been instrumental in your parenting journey so far?

Host a quiz night

Test your friends by putting together a fun trivia quiz. My guess is you will all know each other pretty well! You could even do it online if it’s tricky to coordinate diaries.

Do something for charity

Doing something for the greatest good can feel rewarding and it gives you all a chance to catch up. You could start a little community gardening project to feel more connected to nature or volunteer at your nearest food bank. Getting the whole family involved can also teach your kids about the value of kindness.

Start a book club

Getting together every month in this way can be beneficial for lots of different reasons. It can be a great way to bond whilst providing a handy deadline to read those books stacked up on the shelf.

Offer some babysitting

Why not offer one of your friends a chance to go out for the evening while you babysit their children? They might even return the favor! Giving your friend a night off from parenting is a wonderful way to show up as a great pal.

So there are lots of ways you can celebrate each other but one of the most important things you can do is simply be a good friend. You are probably doing this already but if you wanted a bit of extra advice I’ve put together my top tips on being a super soulmate.

Here are some tips on how to be a good friend:

Empathic listening

The experience of being heard (S. Myers 2000) provides us with the sense of being safe and understood. Listen attentively and be compassionate when a friend opens up to you to show you are there for them. Giving someone the space to vent can feel wonderfully healing.

Share your story

Showing vulnerability and sharing details about your authentic experience of parenthood can create a bedrock for lovely friendships to blossom. The fear of being judged can prevent us from showing up as our true selves but releasing those worries might feel incredibly cathartic. Oversharing can also pose problems so watch out for this too!

Be non-judgemental

Everyone has differing viewpoints so try not to get too wrapped up in how other parents are doing things. This does not mean to say you can’t have firm boundaries but being open-minded and curious can go a long way.

Look for the positives

It’s lovely to think about the things you appreciate about your friend. You might not like everything about them, but what are you grateful for? If you find certain friendships no longer nourish you in the way you deserve it is also ok to listen to the needs of your heart and take a step back.

If you haven’t found your parenting circle yet, Moshi has a lovely Facebook group called Generation Moshi. It’s a way to connect with folk with similar parenting styles. Expectful is also amazing.

Wishing you all so many happy memories with your amazing parenting pals on this International Day of Friendship!

Samantha Redgrave-Hogg