How to Make it in Your Neighborhood as a New “Mother”

A year ago, I tacked up a few signs on the bulletin board in our building’s laundry room:

STAY-AT-HOME DAD
LOOKING TO CREATE A
DAD’s PLAYGROUP!

· I have a 3-month-old son
· Interested in meeting new dads
· Prefer to meet on weekdays during the day, but flexible

No responses ever resulted from the posting.

I was reminiscent of that failed experience this week when I read the article New Mom in a Strange Land: How to Make it in your Neighborhood as a New Mother by Jennifer Noble Colgan in the October issue of Parent Guide News.

The article mentions that “When you become a new mom or move to a new neighborhood, the isolation that results can be devastating. My experience taught me that most other moms feel the same way, but either they don’t know where to find other parents in their situation or they’re too timid to say hello. So, take a deep breath, get ready to say hi and try one of these avenues to start making friends.”

Colgan shares these six steps she used to make it in her own neighborhood as a new “mother”:
1. Go Out and Play – meet other parents at a local park or playground
2. Go Back to School (or Daycare) – use the common bond with other parents because your kids are in the same class
3. Join the Club – join a moms group…dads group…or parenting group
4. Start Your Own Group
5. Make Some Noise – meet other parents in a parenting class like music, gym, or swim
6. Post a WANTED Sign – did not apply well to this at-home-dad

If the article were titled “How to Make it in Your Neighborhood as a New & Involved FATHER,” I am wondering how the steps would remain the same, change, or be modified.