First World problems and all that but I do get a lot of energy from being with other people- always have.
I had several moves in my 20s/30s, then ended up in DH home area. He's quite a home body but I joined choirs and craft groups etc, and people assured me I'd make mum friends but then we struggled to have DCs. We now have two lovely DCs who are adopted but all the school gate friends I made with DS fell away when he was forced out of his first school and then his second (we were bullied via the school WhatsApp). I see any about 1 friend from DS baby days (but never with DS, which is really limiting).
DD was in Y1 when COVID hit so we have had little contact with her friends' parents and they are also quite cliquey (lots are the type that have never moved away from home).
I hated lockdown for obvious reasons. But even before that I couldn't go to clubs any more because DS needs so much help e.g. he needs someone at Cubs, he can't go to group activities at all really let alone on his own.
I'm now feeling not only really lonely but really socially awkward (this was the case a bit before COVID but it's made it worse e.g. going to an out of town meeting for work I would previously have enjoyed chatting to new people, I'm quite good at small talk, but I felt a bit like the new junior, I am in fact quite senior).
I've never really made friends through work, there are a few juniors who go out and have a drink but the rest of us just work.
Just wondering if there are others who have got through this and out the other side? Friends without DCs go out on walks, for dinner, and friends with DCs meet up with them but I can't do either (even when my DCs were preschool age the baby group friends would all go away without inviting us).