How to combat isolation when you work from home/are breadwinner

[littlemole1]

DD is 2.5 years old but I have been running a business from home PT for 2.5 days a week while she is in nursery. Dad has been unemployed since July last year (12 months) so I have singlehandedly been paying for everything - business, house and personal expenses for both of us, and that stresses me. My work is of a confidential nature, so I can't discuss it with partner or anyone else.

I try to meet mums on the Monday, Wednesday and Friday when DD is not at nursery. Nonetheless most mums don't respond to my texts etc, and so I'm usually on my own and days can go by I have no adult conversation other than with clients (my partner doesn't do meaningful conversation either, we are separating and house is for sale because of it/his lack of will to get a job etc). I feel I'm on a treadmill til she starts school.

Does it have to be like this? How have you combated isolation? Is this a London thing or can you get a sense of community anywhere you live? BTW - Am thinking of moving to Brighton or Herts.

I think it is hard when you wfh - I speak to my colleagues or customers, but fortunatly many of those are up for a chat. And of course theres here
And making mum friends is hard - but keep trying, and try inviting people to specific things 'Theres an art workshop on, fancy going ?' 'I was thinking of starting buggy powerwalking on a Wednesday at 10, do you want to come' - or phone them so its more of a discussion.

Do you go to groups/classes ? That can be a good way of getting an idle chat with people

Well this is my first post to mumsnet so I will definitely try MN more often. Good reminder to invite mums to a specific activity rather than just a coffee. Thanks. Would also love to find more groups with a creche so I can get fit/learn something without having to pay/organise babysitting.

I regard MN as the coffee machine/water cooler of the home based worker - you can complain about your child bedecking your back with weetabix before work, muse over what to have for dinner, find out the latest salacious gossip is and so on.

Try your local leisure centre - even our tiny one (I live in a vv small town) has a creche on certain days, and many adult education places have them too. Try your local library for info, or maybe the childrens centre.

You could post for a meetup on here too - theres lots of London mums, and I've enjoyed meeting up with other Mnetters

Thanks.

Not 100% sure how to find out, but there might be a coffee group at a local cafe for freelancers/work-at-home types. Also, look in to organised activities in your area. Local libraries, leisure centres, church halls etc. Wigmore Hall has concerts for babies/toddlers, museums like docklands and museum of London have activities for them too.