Sunday, May 27, 2012

Meeting New Friends Is Like Dating

Remember the days we went out to bars and clubs hoping to meet our significant other? Remember that uncomfortable first date? Well, Party Mom does and is reliving those moments all over again – only now it's with new friends…There are so many similarities between making new friends and the dating scene. Once you meet a new friend or prospect all the same rules apply, you can't be too pushy, to showy, you have to smile a lot, ask a lot of questions, find what similarities or interests you share and hope the interaction goes smoothly. And all that work without the incentive of sexual attraction. Needless to say it is not an easy task!

Of course Party Mom still hits the bars, but during this period of my life the “meet and greets” tend to happen elsewhere. There’s the PTA, carpool line, the gym, charity parties, play-dates, parks, and anywhere else someone with two kids may frequent. Seriously I’ve added carpool clothes into my wardrobe! You got to look cute while getting your cuties!!! First impression is everything, but it's hard to always be on top of your game! Those Chanel shades can't hide it all you know… You should have seen Party Mom a couple weeks ago. Hubby was away and housekeeper was on vacation. I looked like a crack head due to the Clorox stains and lack of sleep. I hadn’t showered in days and had barely enough time to throw on a bra before leaving the house – you try making friends looking like that and let me know how it goes.

At a Saturday night party conversations may get blurry, exaggerated, sloppy, and possibly obnoxious. And let's be honest here we’ve all done it! You may find yourself bragging about your new home, car, upcoming trips, etc. Conversation is key and you’ll realize quickly that if you can’t hang with the big dogs then you need to get your ass off that porch! Usually it starts off with, “what does your husbands do for a living?” Or “do you have help?” (to clarify, help refers to the person that cleans your house or takes care of your kids when you can’t). These conversations can go several ways depending on your venue and, of course, if booze is included or not. The party is usually a blast but then there’s the next day. Should you call your new bestie that helped you kick back 10 tequila shots? Or do you wait for them to call you? They said let's get together, but that happened to be after the joint you shared right before you left the party…

 Another scenario is the casual play-date, which in Party Moms rules should be timed simultaneously with happy hour. These conversations are similar to the ones above, just tweaked and turned more towards the kids and school. Oh and this is the point where you want your child to be on their best behavior. Not only are you “friend flirting,” but you’re also showing off your most precious assets :)

I could go on and on about different scenarios, but you should be getting my drift by now. Meeting new friends is like dating. It starts with a lot flirting, bragging, and intoxication. You then calmly adjust into the real you – hoping they are hooked by the time you show your true colors. If that relationship continues then you know did something right.

So here’s some advice from Party Mom on this new type of dating. Just be yourself and if the person you are courting is not into you, just move on to the next mama with a smile on her face and a drink in her hand! Not everyone has to be besties… I'll still cheers ya in the next fiesta even if I wasn't fond of you in the first one! I like people of ALL types, however, not everyone has to get along. Just be cordial and remember that certain someone won’t be into you until you are into yourself. And last but NOT least if you want to meet up with the kids or have an afternoon BBQ just remember - its 5:00 somewhere!

Unit Next Time,
Party Mom