Low Maintenance Parenting: 7 Tips for Building Healthy and Sustainable Friendships

Making friends has always been a part of human nature. We all crave connection, companionship, and support. But as we grow older and responsibilities pile up, maintaining friendships can become challenging. As a busy mom with three young kids, I have learned the hard way that high maintenance friendships are simply not sustainable. To build healthy and sustainable mommy friendships, low maintenance is the way to go. In this article, I share my top 7 tips on how to be a low maintenance mommy friend.

No Drama

Jealousy and comparison can quickly lead to drama among friends. In order to build healthy friendships, we need to let go of our insecurities and focus on being our authentic selves. If our friends act less than perfect or if it seems like their life is better than ours, we need to let it go. Drama is usually fueled by words, so we must use our words wisely. If what we are going to say doesn’t have an upside to our friends, then we probably don’t need to say it.

No Gossip

Gossip can be hurtful and damaging to relationships. If our friends gossip about other friends, they are likely to gossip about us too. To be a good friend, we need to avoid gossip at all costs. Change the subject or leave the situation when gossip arises. Listening to gossip is just as bad as spreading it.

Time is of No Matter

Being a mom is hard work, and finding time to catch up with friends can be challenging. But the best kind of friendship for a mom is one where we can see each other after weeks or months of not seeing each other and pick up right where we left off. In low maintenance friendships, we don’t take it personally if our friends do not immediately return our calls, texts, or emails. We understand that life can get crazy and hectic, and everything besides keeping our family afloat can go by the wayside.

Low Expectations

Expecting too much from our friends can lead to disappointment and resentment. We need to keep our expectations low and not feel entitled to anything from our friends. Doing nice things for our friends, like ordering them a cup of coffee or sending them a nice note, is always appreciated. But we should do these things without expecting anything in return. Building healthy friendships is based on understanding and respect, not entitlement.

Allow for Personality Quirks

Everyone has personality quirks, including ourselves. To be accepting of our friends, we need to accept their quirks too. If our friends run late, we don’t have to give them a hard time about it every time. Instead, we can bring a book and enjoy the extra time. We need to allow our friends to be human because we are all flawed.

Don’t Criticize – Instead Encourage

Words are powerful, and we need to use them wisely. Instead of being critical of our friends, we need to encourage them. Be a positive force in their life, and look for the good things in them. People like to be around positive and uplifting people. If we are around negative friends, we are likely to feel depleted and drained afterward.

Allow for Differences

We all have different views and opinions on life. To build healthy friendships, we need to allow for differences and embrace them. Holding our friends’ differing opinions against them is not the way to go. We need to allow our friends to express their views without criticizing them or discrediting their opinions. If we put our friends down for their differing views or religious preferences, we are likely to lose them. Differences make life interesting, and we should be thankful that our friends express their views around us.

Gratitude

Having mommy friends who are supportive, caring, and understanding is a true gift. If we are fortunate enough to have such friends, we should let them know how much we appreciate them. Building healthy friendships takes effort and time, but it’s worth it in the end.

In conclusion, low maintenance friendships are crucial for moms with little time to spare. By following these 7 tips, we can build healthy and sustainable friendships that are worth the time and effort. Let’s strive to be the kind of friend we would like to have, and we’ll attract the right kind of friends in return.