How many families of friends do you have?

[confusedofengland]

With the lockdown easing, my friends have been talking about plans to meet up with people. They all seem to have lots of different families of friends to meet up with!

We, on the other hand, have 2 families that we are close friends with, then 3 sisters with DC between us. Most of those live quite far away, so we won't be able to meet them for a while anyway. There is a large group of about 10-12 families that we are on the edge of - have started to be invited to group camping with them & large parties - but we are definitely not part of the main group. I also have lots of mum friends who I meet up with along with our DC, so DC have plenty of non-school friends through me. DH seems to be becoming less sociable as he gets older!

I just wondered if this is typical or if we are different to the norm? I'm always aware of trying to make sure DS2 in particular gets lots of interaction, as he has suspected ASC & benefits from the interaction with peers. For info, Dses are 11, 9 & 6.

None.

Tricky isn’t it I think we have very few friends where I’m good friends with the wife and DH friends with the husband to the extent we’d want to spend time together. Two or three perhaps?

None.

None. DH and I have none of the same friends. I don't really have any friends and I don't know his friends. There are a couple of mums who have children who are my children's friends. I would consider 1 of those mums to be my friend but our DC aren't really friends anymore (we met when our DC1s started Reception and that was several years ago).

We have 3 that we are really good friends with - go on holiday together etc.

And around another 6 that we socialise with quite a bit, usually in a large group.

Meant to say - I think it’s quite hard to find families where everyone gets on really well - we know some people I’m friends with our DHs just don’t have that much in common, or the kids don’t really get on etc. In which case it’s just easier to socialise separately.

We have probably 5 or 6 families we could meet up with, but I'm not planning to. They all have kids our kids age (3) and obviously social distancing would be an issue.

We are "saving" our meetings for family members.

Our best man and his wife (known each other 20 years), my best friend from school and her husband(28 years), my daughter's god mother and her husband (15 years), then Dd's best friend and her sibling and parents, DS's mate from school, his parents and brother. So 5.

Sorry, known Dd's mate's family 12 years and DS's 5 (since yr7). I think these type of relationships take time.

Probably about 8 without counting relatives

None.

Lockdown has been a massive lot of 'same' for us.

Well I think that sounds like you have loads of friends to be honest!

None

Quite a lot! About 15?

That sounds like loads of friends to me too. The easing of lockdown means, um, that we still won't be seeing anyone. I'm just grateful they stopped the idea of social bubbles as that would have felt even more pathetic

Nne families as friends. I have a few close friends I like to see myself, I don't socialise in couples as I like a break from dh and the house!! Is that awful?

None. No family or friends at all.

Actually it stems from the fact we've never had babysitters, we are used to going out separately.

3 including my sister's family. 1 is my best friend and kids and one is husbands best friend and kids.

None really, I have my friends, hubby has his and kids have theirs, no crossover at all.
Family 200 miles away and more.
Not sure it makes much difference for me next week.

2 families who we are good enough friends with to want to meet up soon, where the kids get on as well, plus both of our families.
That's plenty for me.

A few here and there, but on an individual basis, iyswim?

Family 1: two parents, two DC ages 15 and 7. DH is godfather to the youngest, we've been friends for around 12-13 years. Love them dearly, but the dad can be a bit odd.

Family 2: through ds' classmate. They get on well, we get on v well with the mum (my bf), I get on with the dad, DH and the dad are warmly civil, but don't have much common ground and conversation can be a bit stilted between them.

Family 3: parents and one DC same age as my son, old neighbours. Great fun, lots of common interests. We'll go on hikes and picnics together.

None of them would we go on holiday with. I'd find that stressful - who's doing what, who's paid for what, how to avoid playing Uno round a campfire, how to politely ditch them to go get ice cream (and them ditch us...).

I prefer having a holiday just us. We're both introverts, in Spain, this lockdown has been a piece of piss in that respect!

None at all! Lockdown didn’t change my life other than no work and not seeing family.

Even my DD said today ‘mum show your ....’ was obviously about to say friends then realised mum doesn’t seem to have any friends

No whole family friendships

I have individual friends who have children of various ages, but we don't do family get togethers.