How do I make friends at NCT?

[thingymaboob]

I know this sounds like a weird question. I'm not completely socially awkward but I'm not the easiest person to get on with and find it difficult to meet new people. I'm starting NCT tomorrow and I'm really nervous about it. I feel like I'm putting a lot of pressure on myself to make a good impression and I'm certainly not chill. Any tips would be gratefully received! Thanks

Don't worry, you've basically bought their friendship, they can't back out and neither can you. NCT rule #1.

Don't worry about it the first few sessions. We kind of all knew we wanted to make friends but really scheduled coffees through a whatsapp group once we were on mat leave, not while attending the sessions.

Just be yourself! The courses aren’t that long so you won’t rwally get to know people during it. In my experience most groups set up a WhatsApp chat or Facebook group at the end of the course and carry on chatting then once babies start to arrive you’ll see more of them and also meet other people via baby groups etc.

Just be yourself! I found the classes a bit awkward to start with (I dread social situations at the best of times and need to get myself mentally ready to meet a bunch of new people) but afterwards we made a WhatsApp group and met up a few more times before the babies arrive. A year and a half later, I count the (most of the) women in my group as good mom friends (there’s was one that was, well, problematic). We’ve been there through the 3am feedings (you’ll get really good a one handed texting), rashes, teething, unbelievable poonamis, and all the hormonal ups and downs of the first, very intense year.

Make the effort to keep in touch after the course as these women have the potential to be a fantastic resource and support for you. I honestly do not know what I would’ve done without my NCT moms.

Damn, so many typos. Am clearly still not good at one handed texting.

We formed a WhatsApp group
After the classes had finished we had a weekly coffee get together in town. One evening the partners went out and one evening we all got together for pizza in someone’s house.
The weekly coffee meet up was great. It started off small as people started going on mat leave, then bumps changed for babies.
We continued to meet up weekly for a year.
The WhatsApp group is still used a bit and we try to meet up 3-4 times a year.
Just be you. You all have something significant in common which helps start the friendships off. The rest is done by meeting up and going through such a big event together.

Just go and do the classes. You don't really need to 'make friends' other than just have casual conversations before, during and after class. At the end, the teacher will usually create an opportunity for everyone to share their emails/numbers. Ours just emailed the list out to all of us with everyone's permission and then someone set us up a Facebook group and an email list (Whatsapp probably now, but this was before everyone used Whatsapp). Then whoever would plan a coffee date or lunch or afternoon walk once we were all on mat leave and we'd meet us then. I didn't feel like I necessarily left the class itself with 'friends' but at least people I was comfortable meeting up with later for coffee. It was absolutely invaluable. I'm not super social, but it was such a relief just to know I had a group of people I could meet up with when our babies were small. It just happened. There's always someone who is good at planning these things and then you just need to get out of the house and go. That was 5 years ago and we still keep in touch and come to our kids' birthdays each year.

How did it go, OP?

Everyone seems very nice. I think quite a few of us were nervous. Got quite a few more sessions and we've all been out for lunch.