I have made good friends from all stages of my life, from school to college to work to school gates. I think its all part of life's rich tapestry, not really sure why school gates are any different. They're just people.
Yes, this.
And I also don't understand this sort of comment, which always comes up on threads like these...
Remember the other parents just happen to have a child the same age as you - there is no particular reason why you should become friends.
...and...
having kids the same age doesn't mean you'll have anything else in common^
^
On that basis, why would children make any friends, if the only reason they're lumped in the same class is purely because they're the same age as everyone else?
Having kids the same age of course doesn't mean you'll have anything in common, but it is the reason parents are thrown together, and so it's inevitable (if you're not anti-social) that as you spend time with these people, you get to know some of them, and perhaps make friends.
I mean, people make friends with work colleagues. You could equally say, ' just because you work for the same company, doesn't mean you'll have anything in common'.
If you're continually thrown together with people - for any reason (and again, the ongoing caveat: if you're not anti-social) - you will get to know some of them, and likely make a friend or two or three. School, university, hobbies, work, school gate. 🤷🏻♀️
OP - it can take time. Because the interactions are often very short, it does take time to build up a rapport with people, and really get to know them. Definitely invite kids over for play dates, and keep being friendly.
It's great to go beyond the small talk and make actual friends - you have a network of light relief, laughs, and back-up for each other in emergencies.