How do you (as in parents) make friends in school playground

[Comingroundthemountain]

Only been a week so early days. Dd started school - 60 kids. Reception playground is entirely separate so you don't see parents from other years. I would say about half the parents don't speak great English. And quite a few are rushing off to work. I am keen to make friends though as expecting another baby so going to be around a lot, and relatively new to the area. Thought there would be some kind of new parents welcome morning or Facebook group as per my friends' experiences at other school but nothing like that where we are. Am I going to have to start one? Aragon - really don't want to be the organiser... am already on the committee at my ds nursery.

My DD is in year 3 now and so far no coffee mornings here

if your DS plays with someone regularly at school could you approach their parent and see if they wanted to meet in the park at some point? If you hit if off, you can suggest they come over after school or similar? I have a couple of friends who met because my DS has made good friendships with their children.

Our PTA organises coffee mornings every Friday. It is a bit scary, and I am not sure I spoke much in the first two years, but nowadays parents waylay me left right and centre. Wherever we go in the village someone's beeping their car horns at us, or stopping to take us wherever we are going, or we start waving madly at each other from cars in a roundabout. DH is always very confused when these things happen.

Birthday parties help as well.

Later on when your DD starts other activities, you might be able to chat to waiting parents more. It is somehow easier to talk about a smaller subject to a smaller group of people, such as football or drama or homework club.

BTW I am not native English speaker, but where we live it is more to do with how long have you lived where you live and who you know. Interrogations take the form of "Do you live on x street? Do you know Mrs B, she is my grandmother's sister's friend?"

Good luck

Great question OP as I have been wondering the same.

We moved to a new area last year and didn't know anyone locally, everyone keeps saying that we will meet people via school....but it's sooooooooo awkward!

DS just started reception and loves it. But all the other parents are already in their groups and have no interest in making effort with us. I find waiting around very awkward. It's a large 60 intake with separate entrance too.

A colleagues child has started a much smaller school and made friends and been invited to five parties already. My worry is our child will get lost in the large group and won't be invited to parties or play dates as other parents and children already know eachother.

I'm a friendly and sociable person and have instigated brief chats but nothing yet.

We will try the park thing when the weather is ok.

Good luck x

I made some great friends from dd1's class. We socialise and have some great times minus the dc!

With dd2's, no parent will talk to me apart from the mum of one little boy who went to her nursery (and who like me already has a child at the school) and the parents of a girl whose sister happens to be dd1's good friend, plus the parents of another little girl whose ds is in dd1's class.

I'm friendly, never struggled to natter to anyone at playgroups etc, think I'm a reasonably nice person but I'm stumped by the cold shoulder I'm getting from this group of parents. I've at least identified one little girl DD2 mentions lots so I'm going to see if I can spot her mum next week and say hi.