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Relationships

Mumsnet has not checked the qualifications of anyone posting here. If you need help urgently or expert advice, please see our domestic violence webguide and/or relationships webguide. Many Mumsnetters experiencing domestic abuse have found this thread helpful: Listen up, everybody

How many proper friends do you have?

69 replies

TWOBANANAS · 10/04/2017 17:08

Not Facebook friends, not Instagram followers but real friends who you see, trust, confide in and who would be there for you if in trouble.

OP posts:
Wishiwasmoiradingle2017 · 10/04/2017 17:14

Only my dh. .

BendydickCuminsnatch · 10/04/2017 17:22

I think probably 2, one being a cousin so don't know if that counts. If it does count, then I'll count my mum too, so that's 3.

BendydickCuminsnatch · 10/04/2017 17:22

Oh and DH of course. So one actually non-related friend. Wow, that's sad.

ThisIsStartingToBoreMe · 10/04/2017 17:23
  1. When it comes to friends quality beats quantity.
bananarama75 · 10/04/2017 17:29

Just 1 BF that is local and i can see regularly. Oldest friend lives too far so only email/occasional visits.

TBH working f/t I don't really have enough spare time to maintain more than friends than I've already got!

Think friends vary according to your age/circumstances. Had loads more when is were little but those drifted.

wineusuallyhelps · 10/04/2017 17:43

I have four that I could call on if I was in trouble or ask big favours. I also consider my BIL to be in that bracket.

I have about ten more friends that I see regularly but not all the time. Some of those might only be a couple of times a year, but we go way back, so they're still important IYSWIM.

Then there's quite a few more friends I've met through the kids I wouldn't consider actual 'proper' friends, as in, I wouldn't see them socially if the kids weren't there. We are in contact because of the kids.

I always think I don't have that many friends compared to some people I know...

Dowser · 10/04/2017 17:46

Quite a few.
I'm very fortunate

Imi22sleeping · 10/04/2017 18:26

4

TheDisappearingUser · 10/04/2017 18:28

Just dh. No one else that cares.

User39912014 · 10/04/2017 18:31

One that I see like 5 times a year and my sister.

thehousewife · 10/04/2017 18:33

I'd say 10, I'm quite social though but I've dropped a few recently as I realised after a life changing incident who my true friends were!!

IAmTheWorwax · 10/04/2017 18:33

1 best friend that I could say anything too. 2 good mum friends, not best friends but meet up regularly.
Another 10ish couple friends that we meet up every month or so. They are mostly DHs though.

Do sisters count?

MrsGB2225 · 10/04/2017 18:35

1 best friend, my sister and a couple of mum friends

ParmaViolets17 · 10/04/2017 18:37

Six: 2 live locally, 1 I speak to daily, 3 I see less than once a year.

But I know I could call any of them at 4am and ask for help.

I'm lucky, but I don't have a family, DP, DH or DCs, so I guess these friends are my family.

mackerelle · 10/04/2017 18:41

1 good friend, but none who are as close as some prior friendships have been.

Honeyandfizz · 10/04/2017 18:53

1 very close friend. A few mum friends I go out for curry/drinks with. I genuinely don't hold many people close to me but my closest friend just gets me.

Oblomov17 · 10/04/2017 18:57

4: 2 friends who live across the road, best friend from uni 20 years ago, friend from school 30 years ago.

Arealhumanbeing · 10/04/2017 18:57

5

Verticalvenetianblinds · 10/04/2017 18:58

dh, mum + 1 other

user1489780837 · 10/04/2017 19:03

One and that's my mum

BackforGood · 10/04/2017 19:09

Loads, but I've long since decided I have a different definition of a friend from what the common perception on MN is. Smile

Sciurus83 · 10/04/2017 19:15

Eight very good ones. All over 300 miles away from where I live and I'm lonely day to day. I wish I had friends I could meet for a glass of wine or mooch round the shops.

NameNotANumber · 10/04/2017 19:47

Really good friends - oldest friend from school, my sister and my boyfriend (not living together so not sure about calling him partner).

I have lots of other friends who I am close to, fond of, socialise with and could call upon them in an emergency not because I am particularly close to them but just because they are inherently lovely people who would want to be there if they knew there was a problem, as I would want to for them.

cauliflowercheese14 · 10/04/2017 19:50

Only my DH, parents and sisters that I could absolutely call on whenever. I have 3 friends I am quite close to and would confide in but don't see any of them that often due to work / kids etc. I see local mum friends reasonably regularly and have closer friendships developing with a couple of them. I am very sociable but just don't seem to have the time any more.

mumblechum0 · 10/04/2017 19:51

5 proper good friends and a lot (15 ish) of more casual friends who I meet for lunch/cocktails etc.

Family don't count as friends, they have to put up with me Grin