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Making friends is never easy, especially as a mom living abroad. It can leave you feeling isolated, longing for familiar faces and a sense of belonging.

What are some of the challenges?

No Flexibility as a Mom

If you are a Mom, your time is limited. You are busy taking care of your baby, cleaning, cooking, and if you have a bit of time for yourself, you just want to rest or do nothing. I often found myself tirelessly giving, and sometimes I couldn’t help but feel overwhelmed, even becoming annoyed with my baby and husband. Afterwards, there is this feeling of guilt.

How do you even have the energy to socialize?

Language and Cultural Barriers

Language and cultural differences can be challenging when making friends abroad. Communication barriers can make connecting and forming meaningful relationships with locals or even other expats difficult. Furthermore, when you have a baby, the challenge of building connections can feel even more stressful.

Work or Stay at Home Mom

When moving to a new country with your company, there is often a built-in support system through colleagues who can introduce you to new people and help ease the transition. However, as a work-from-home mom or a stay-at-home mom, the process of finding connections can be a different story. Unlike having a ready network of colleagues, you may find yourself starting from scratch in a new place.

How to overcome those challenges?

Seek out Mom Communities

When we moved from Dubai to Zurich, my son was only six months. I was finally motivated to make some mom friends, so I signed up for a post-natal pilates course. Luckily I met like-minded women who understand the joys and struggles of motherhood. And when planning something together, they know exactly how flexible you need to be. You don’t need to feel guilty if you must cancel one appointment due to your baby’s needs. Your child can also be a fantastic bridge to friendship. Try to look for local playgroups, baby swimming or yoga for moms. Or go to a playground and start a conversation with a parent.

There are moms out there with the same need for connection as you. Trust me.

Connecting Across Borders

The language part doesn’t apply to me; however, the cultural one. Living in Zurich, the German-speaking part of Switzerland, there are similarities to my hometown Nuremberg but still many differences. With Zurich being a multicultural city with a significant population of expats, it isn’t easy to meet locals. However, meeting people from different backgrounds is also the beautiful part of the city. Your baby will have the chance to be exposed to other languages, traditions, and perspectives.

Be Open, Approachable, and Proactive

When we moved to Dubai, I was just starting my entrepreneurship journey. Working alone was overwhelming enough; additionally, being in a new city and not knowing anyone was even more stressful. Nonetheless, I pushed myself to join entrepreneur meet-ups and events aligned with my interests. In the beginning, it was difficult enough to go there alone without knowing anyone.

To avoid any potential disappointment, I set two simple rules for myself:

• I committed to having a meaningful conversation with at least one person at every event.
• If I didn’t happen to connect with anyone, I learned something at the event itself. Whether learning something new, gaining inspiration, or expanding my understanding of a particular topic, each event became an opportunity for personal growth.

Building connections requires effort and initiative. Be proactive and remember to maintain friendships as well. You will soon find yourself creating a support system in your new home.