Is it really so easy to make friends?

[Freudianslap]

I am feeling quite isolated at the moment for various reasons and have been trying for quite some time to extend my social circle a little. However I have found it really difficult and have found other people's reaction to my quest a bit disheartening.

People keep suggesting that I am not trying hard enough and that in fact it is really easy to make friends. I've been told to join groups, accept all invitations and be more 'open' to meeting others. But is it really that easy? I have done sme night classes and, although the people were nice, there was no suggestion that anyone there wanted to do more than just attend the class. I have registered on 'meet a mum' type sites but things never seem to get beyond a couple of emails. I started antenatal classes recently and, again, the people were lovely but seem to just want to be there for the information only.

I just don't get it.... Maybe I am dong something wrong but I can't seem to find this 'easy friend making' route that everyone tells me is possible and to be honest it's really getting me down. I think I am a nice person but just don't seem to get this friend thing....

Any thoughts anyone?

[LimitedEditionLady]

I only seem to make friends at work.Tried play groups all the mums are older than me and dont seem to want to talk to me ( even though some of my friends are 40 so i dont see what the difference is)Kids just walk on up to each other and say hi and theyre instant friends,adults...difficult!

[EBearhug]

No, it's not that easy, especially as you get older. Classes are great for learning, and some might do things like Christmas drinks, but they're exceptions, rather the key to a great social life.

People keep telling me to sign up with a local walking group. Actually, I have signed up, but the weekends I've been free to go, I've gone to the beach instead, because you can go walking when it's not good enough to swim in the sea.

And the thought of joining a group where they already know each other scares me.

[LimitedEditionLady]

Have you noticed old people make friends easy too?everyones my nan friend!even me!

[WaitingForMe]

No, I worked very hard to build up my friendship group (moved to totally new town to be with DH). Treated it like a numbers game and grew a thick skin.

[Freudianslap]

Hmmmm I just wonder what the solution is because there are times when I just feel really lonely...

[Freudianslap]

eBearhug - I know what you mean, most groups seem to be pretty tight to begin with and it's really hard to get included.

Sometimes it feels like I never left the difficulty of school as far as making friends are concerned! The cursed being shy sometimes I think...

[nerofiend]

After quite a disheartening experience with a group of mums at my local baby group, I sort of lost the motivation, confidence and energy to "try to make" friends again.

My group of friendship has reduced considerably in the last five years or so and this has had a negative effect on my confidence.

You're not alone in the way you feel, OP. As we grow older, making solid friends and keeping them becomes, in my opinion, a lot harder than when we are younger.

[LimitedEditionLady]

I had three friendship groups at school.Then a big group of friends as I got older but now i have friends but hardly see them as everyone is leading their own lives obviously as we get older.I dunno maybe join a sporty activity or something people do purely for fun rather than a course?

[LimitedEditionLady]

You know what,i was always the persin who invited people into our friendship group!

[Freudianslap]

I've always been someone who tried to include others too. Seems now that things have really turned around, does make me reflect on previous friendship choices I've made though - particularly as most now require me to do most of the running.

In many ways I'm dreading my maternity leave because I am worried that this 'oh how come you haven't made lots of mum friends - it's easy' mentality will prevail.

This has been such a weird reflective day!

[GiveItYourBestShot]

I don't think it's easy but I tell myself to keep trying. Different groups will have different vibes...I went to my local WI last week and they were incredibly welcoming! I don't really see myself as a WI type but it got me out of the house and there was brilliant cake and a sign-up sheet to visit a brewery so I am now reconsidering! As PP said, numbers game - some people might find friends everywhere but some people can do cartwheels...we all have different talents.

[Mehrida]

It's really not that easy, well not for most folk anyway?

Do you enjoy sport at all? Most sports clubs have a ready made social life built in.

Or maybe you could bite the bullet and suggest something, eg a coffee after ante natal? Although, I founbd that I socialised much more with my ante natal class after the babies arrived and we had something in common.

[Freudianslap]

I will keep trying but just feel about disheartened today.

[SurroundedByGiraffes]

I don't know if this is helpful or not, but when I moved here two years ago I didn't have any friends here and I was dreading it. I went to four or five different toddler groups and was in tears at one because it just felt like I wouldn't ever make friends. I also find it hard as I have face blindness to a certain extent so find it hard to recognise people I meet when I see them again (usually work it out by the age/ gender of the children they have with them!). But some of the ways I met people were:

Saw the lady who lived across from us at softplay about a month after moving, chatted about our move, learnt they had a similar move, went round for playdate, reciprocated, DS ended up at same nursery as their DD. Had quite a lot in common, got on well, so friendship has evolved into going out without kids, family BQs etc.

Through that couple met two other nice couples (first at children's parties, nursery drop off etc) with similar aged kids who we now see with and without kids, the men sometimes go to gigs and the women tend to meet up every so often for a meal.

Went to NCT coffee mornings, the lovely organiser introduced me to loads of people, some I have become friendly with, going on trips, dinner parties etc, others just to say hi. Also through that lovely lady I joined a book group which has also been brilliant for meeting people.

Now DS1 is at school I have become friends with some of the mums there, not loads but one or two, one is the very friendly mum of his best friend and one I met at a toddler arts group and we got on well.

I hope this doesn't sound boasty look at all my mates, I just wanted to show how it happened for me, if it is annoying just ignore.

[cleoowen]

I have this trouble too and regularly question my choice of friends. I can sometimes make friends easily but seem to make friends with the wrong people. Thru let me down or move away and them I am back to square one! I get fed up with constantly going through a circle of,making friends, loosing them for one reason or another and then having to make more etc,etc.

It makes me nervous meeting new people because I just think the same thing will happen again. For instance the person I get on best with in my Nct group and have the most in common with,.lives around the corner etc just announced she's moving to America! Typical.

I am currently trying to make more friends through baby groups but find,it's just been little chats so far and one group is really cleeky.

However, I met up with an old friend the other day who has a great group of friends, she made as she got chatting to one girl who had the same blanket as her dd s, she introduced her to her group of friends and 3 years later they are the best of friends. I was like what, how come people find,it so easy.

[Freudianslap]

Cleo - I could have written the first bit of your post, we seem to have had quite similar experiences!

I try really hard to not let it get me down but sometimes it makes me wonder what's wrong with me?! I also feel that the longer it goes on the less confidence I have which just makes it more difficult.

And surrounded - no you're post does t so

[Freudianslap]

Cleo - I could have written the first bit of your post, we seem to have had quite similar experiences!

I try really hard to not let it get me down but sometimes it makes me wonder what's wrong with me?! I also feel that the longer it goes on the less confidence I have which just makes it more difficult.

And surrounded - no you're post doesn't sound boasty, it gives me a bit of hope maybe?

[Freudianslap]

Sorry - hit post button too soon, silly phone plus clumsy fingers. Grrr.

[SkinnedAlive]

I find it hard to make friends here in the UK. Overseas is so much easier.As an ex-pat as there are so many groups to join and people to meet. I work 11 hour days for minimum wage at the moment and am too exhausted/have too little money to go out anyway. I have no face to face friends where I live. I am bullied at work and very lonely. If it wasn't for online friends I would have no one (though my cats are fantastic friends)

[Tambaboy]

I haven't read the whole thread so I hope it hasn't been suggested already but why don't you try //www.meetup.com and see what groups are local to your area. For me it has been absolutely fantastic , I've made lots of friends and we have been meeting up regularly for the last 3 years. It could be a meetup group of people that like hillwalking, study German, like cooking etc anything really or you could even start your own group!

[CailinDana]

I find it quite easy to make friends. I've moved 7 times in the last 11 years (including twice to a different country) so i think i've had to be good at it. I don't amass big groups of friends - never have - but in each place i've lived i've made 1 or 2 close friends and a few other not so close ones. Nearly all the close friendships are still going.
I know this might not be helpful as i'm not sure it's something you can learn but i think i read people well and that helps. I can tell pretty fast if someone i meet is a person i want to be friends with and i can tell if they're keen to be friends too.
Ways i've made friends are:
neighbours - just say hi, have a chat, after a couple of chats ask something more personal like where they're from, take an interest and just generally be nice. I'm still close to my next door neighbour from my last house and in our current house my ndn is a great friend. That's more luck than anything. Most of my local friends come from a local toddler group.
If you have questions about making friends i'll answer them, that might be more helpful than me rabitting on.

[Freudianslap]

Skinned - my little cats are awesome too, not great conversationalists though!!

Tambaboy - have tried that website but unfortunately there are only 3 groups within a 25 mile radius of where I live and they are primarily aimed at business people wanting to make links. Maybe I should start my own group though, although think I'd feel more sad if nobody wanted to join!

Looking at this thread I sound like a bit of a misery - in really not!

[Heartbrokenmum73]

I'm nodding along with a lot of what's being said here. I'm almost 40 and can honestly say I don't have any close friends now. My three closest friends have all moved (two to different countries, one to a different county) and I've been struggling and lonely too.

Other friends that I've made over the years have been the wrong 'fit', if you like and as I suffer from depression I've become a bit more choosy about who I will socialise with because I can't get on with groups where there's non-stop back-stabbing and bitchiness.

I have three children at school and am friendly with lots of Mums there, but find that I don't seem to belong to any particular group. I'm on the PTFA too but that's incredibly cliquey at our school.

I'm moving over the summer due to me and STBEx splitting and me needing to be nearer my family and start afresh. While I can't wait to start this great new chapter by the sea the thought of starting with no friends is depressing and I love my Mum to bits but don't want to be friends with just her and my SIL who is incredibly hard work.

No answers really, just sympathising.

[SkinnedAlive]

MOL - you are right Freudian - my conversations with my cats can also at times be errrr......limited.......

I find I can only be friends with people I genuinely like, and don't really have friendships just for the sake of it. Finding someone you click with isn't so easy I find. Maybe I am just fussy.

I have no good suggestions sadly :(

[Tambaboy]

Oh , that's is a shame about your local meetups Freudian.
Another place where I've made good friends is at a my martial arts class, I'm not saying you are ought to do the same activity (it's definetely not everyones cup of tea!) but I believe that because this hobby is so different I tend to find people on the same wavelength as mine...and we go to the pub after each session!!
So maybe you ought to find your very own special interest and meet like minded people.