Getting out and meeting new people

[mylongawaitedlife]

..Just that really, where do you go and how do you do it as a LP?

I'm looking to meet people with something in common and similar interests so I would be mid 30s, professional full time job, with some flexible hours, university+ education, spent time in global cities/traveling pre DD. Interests would include being outdoors, camping, reading when I get the chance, but also quite open minded.

The catches - I have DD all the time outside work, no other childcare and she is 3. I live in the Midlands so not near all the lovely meetups in the SE, but can travel within a certain distance and sometimes stay in London. Not a huge amount of spare cash, which rules out the babysitting sites and anything too expensive. I don't tend to gel with married mums so far as we are just so different, I've raised DD alone, but maybe I just don't know where to meet the right people.

Any ideas, anyone in a similar position and what do you do?

I've meet friends in all sorts of different places, school/nursery drop off, sports, work etc I don't think you can make it a prerequisite that the people you want to meet are of a certain type, lots of my friends are very different with different levels of education, types of work. Find out about local groups you can take your daughter to at a weekend where you may make friends with other people or take up an activity.

No I don't necessarily want all my friends to be of a certain type, but it does help. Or I at least want to add some of those people into the list of people I know,

Nursery drop/pick doesn't work for me as DD is literally the first through the door and last out, I don't get chance to talk to anyone. Work is quite a distance away and fast-paced, and I can't stay to chat after the day ends due to being the only one to pick up DD - so again not really good for socialising.

Yes to the groups/activities - I'm trying to figure out which ones.

Start your own group on something like meetup? Or find a local forum and start a situation to meet. it doesn't need to be about being a single parent - it could be a weekend walk with kids group - see who turns up and keep your mind open about who will be there.

Also you could join a regular activity for your little one and try and make friends with parents there. It is difficult - I struggle to have a chat with the parents at school - I'm sometimes just being an introvert who is rubbish at small talk.

Good luck. Let us know how it goes.