Do you have friends with toddlers, but you're not even in the baby stage yet? That's totally fine. The toddler mom in your life still wants to be friends with you, but she will need a little extra grace in this stage of your friendship.
(Real talk: This post is NOT some passive-aggressive list I'm going to post to Facebook and secretly hope that all my friends IRL see this so they can start being better friends to me. No, no. THIS is a list I've compiled after seeing all the amazing ways my friends with no kids support me and love me as a mom of a veryyy active toddler.)
Pretend like it doesn't bother you when sticky fingers touch you and your purse and your new jeans.
Be a little late.
It'll make her feel better that she's running late too. Take comfort in the fact it's not lateness because she doesn't care about your time together; it's lateness because she ran around the house looking for one shoe for 5 whole minutes.
Hold the toddler's hand when you're out in public.
This will free her up for lugging a diaper bag/another baby/etc.
Expect that, if this toddler is talking yet, that your conversation will be interrupted 1,384 times.
Involve the kid in conversation every once in a while by asking them something totally random ("How's your sandwich? Where is your nose?") to make the little one feel involved AND reassure the mom that you don't mind the conversation interruptions. (Aiden's interruptions have sounded like this recently haha)
Even if you haaaate kids (and no judgment if you do!), take an interest in the little guy and talk to them.
Say hi, ask them about whatever sticky toy they're holding, tell them you're happy to see them. Even if the kid can't talk yet, this will tell the mom that you don't mind the toddler being around while you hang out and that you love her kid.
Don't expect her to text back right away.
I was terrible at texting back without kids, and now that a small person is always asking for a sandwich/new shirt/help with putting their pee in the potty, I am even worse. I can usually manage a reply during naptime or when I try and use the bathroom by myself (which never happens because toddlers are nosy, let's be real.)
Celebrate the child's milestones...
...with as much genuine (or mustered) enthusiasm as you can. Tell her how impressed you are that they are crawling, walking, talking, clapping, covering their mouth when they cough, etc. Again, this will tell the mom that you love her kid.
Suggest kid-friendly hangouts.
Instead of a coffee shop date, suggest taking the coffee to go and enjoying it at the local park so that the toddler can run around. She'll love you for being ok with a toddler-approved hangout and for being the one to suggest it! (Bonus tip: This also works for date nights when you have a toddler)
Now I want to hear from you!! Can you relate to this at all, either as the mom of a toddler or the friend of a toddler mom?!
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