Mommy BFFs (or best friends forever in case you were never a teenage girl)

Dedicated to my Mommy BFF, Allie, happy birthday!

The best windows of opportunity for making new friends typically occur only twice in our lifetimes: the first day of kindergarten and the first week in the college dorms. Once you’ve graduated, it becomes increasingly more difficult to find socially appropriate ways to make friends. I wish it were as simple as using my toddler’s techniques; putting sand in somebody else's bucket or not pushing them down the slide. When you become a mom it is important to find other moms who not only have things in common with you but who also share similar mommy values. For example, I would find it difficult to relate to a vegan, attachment-parent who believes in chicken pox parties and uses terms like a “family bed” during playdates. So when I met my mommy BFF, who also happens to be over 5’10, has two under two and is similarly fluent in the language of sarcasm, it felt too good to be true.

 For those of you wondering if you have found your mommy BFF, below is a quick reference guide:

1). The social media world can expect pictures of all your children holding hands, sharing food, and running in fields. (Please refer to exhibit A below)

2). You can text single words like “help”, “poop”, or “caffeine” and they will instantly know that their assistance is required because it has been an explosive poop sort of day and more coffee is required in order to get through it alive.

3). You can show all sides of your crazy, whether they be: judgey, complainy, or just plain bitchy.

4). She instinctively knows when you are asking for advice and when you just need to vent.

5). Lastly and most importantly, you will always remind her that she is amazing and that she inspires you to be a better mother.

So if you’ve checked all those boxes, congratulations, you have made your very own Mommy BFF.  Now go forth and conquer the parenting world together, one milestone and mini-meltdown at a time!