My circle/support network is tiny 😢

[EAsterChicky]

I’ll be separating from my husband soon and it’s a worry how tiny my circle is.

My family is tiny - just my elderly parents and a sibling who has severe LDs. Extended family are all very elderly and my family is slowly shrinking.

When married we only ever saw MIL but she’s on and off, we don’t see much of her. No contact with the rest of ex’s family.

Friends - I work hard to maintain a decent-ish social life where most of the time I’ve got something nice to look forward to with friends. I am however so envious of people with lots of siblings and big families. I worry about the future and what my life will look like when my parents are no longer around. I have two children who I’ll be a single parent to.

Yeah my family is small too and although I’m looking forward to my DC leaving home and spreading their wings (well DD as DS moved into his own place a year ago) I will miss them/her. I don’t have a huge circle of friends and am not working much now so it’s difficult.

Are you a club sort of person? I’m not really but I did join a dance class which I enjoy. I don’t have a “best friend” and my sister just annoys me and she lives far away anyway.

I also tried a book club but they were all quite a bit younger and already in small groups so I felt pretty left out.

You’ll still have your DC though - that’s something 💐

I’m with you, it’s really hard.

I’m a single parent to 2 children. Only child. Dad died 4 years ago. My mum is absolutely amazing, but I grow ever conscious that in 10 years time she probably won’t be here. Most of my extended family are all elderly too. The only cousin I see is a raging misogynist so I probably won’t keep in touch with him after his parents (who are lovely) die.

So jealous of those with hands on husbands and lots of extended family.

I do have some good friends but most of them are busy with their own (big) families most of the time.

I also have care of my kids 70% of the time so it’s hard to make new friends and I have very little time for hobbies.

Do you work - will be hard to do PP’s suggestion of clubs if you don’t have any days off work! All I can recommend is pour all you can into your friendships. What’s really worked for me and my friends is childcare swaps - so I’ll have friend’s kids one day, and she’ll have a day to herself, and vice versa. So then we each get a day to ourselves in the holidays. Even if your kids are tiny, look ahead and identify friends you are growing close to with a view of having a solid relationship to do the above with once school holidays are applicable to you.