21 Reasons Kid Free Friends are The Best!

Thank you, kid-less friends:

1 - Thank you for reminding me to get a life, and that I, Roxanne, have to remain interesting and fun as an individual.

2 - Thank you for coming over and loving my kids almost as much as I do, for playing with them, and reading them countless stories - the kids love being read to and I am so over our limited reading materials!

3 - Thank you for happily having game nights at my house, so we don't have to get a sitter! And being cool with me leaving for 15 minutes while I get the kids settled in bed.

4 - Thank you for keeping me updated on what is cool - what music is out, cool night spots and restaurants for our rare date nights, best new cocktails and wines, new must see movies that I will add to my Netflix queue, and what I should be wearing. I have had yoga pants tunnel vision for too long!

5 - Thank you for making adjustments for us. I know our plans used to be late and loud, but when you invite us over for dinner at 4pm so we can bring the girls and not worry about a sitter, it gives me all of the warm fuzzies.

6 - Thank you for liking the 1000th picture of my kid that I just posted on facebook, twitter AND instagram. You are a saint for liking my posts on all 3 mediums. That said, thank you for not unfollowing me at the first sign of non-stop baby photos and baby related status updates.

7 - Thank you for taking pictures of us as a family.

8 - Thank you for facetimes, skype calls, visits and phone calls from 3000 miles away.

9 - Thank you for asking how all of us are doing, and not just asking about the babies.

10 - Thank you for helping me wrangle my children at our mutual friends' parties. I know I should have them more under control, but they sure do like to run in opposite directions, and this place is not as baby proofed as my totally emptied out house. I promise we wont stay too long!

11 - Thank you for letting me text you all night when I can't leave my house! I know its not the same as a real face to face conversation, but I do have a glass of wine in front of me and the babies are in bed, so you have my undivided boozy attention :D

12 - Thank you for nudging me to do things I am scared to do - if you had my morning, you would not have this enthusiasm to leave the house and go on a walk, out to eat, or to the zoo/mall/park with the kids, but I should do those things with the kids and need that injection of energy and verve! Your company on those outings doesn't hurt, either!

13 - Thank you for being just like extended family, while mine is so far away! And thank you for understanding my week long disappearances when my extended family is visiting!

14 - Thank you for coming and holding newborn babies and helping with bottles when I was just so exhausted I had forgotten what sleep for longer than 2 hours was like. Especially thank you for the few times you insisted I go take a nap!

15 - When we all had the stomach flu? Thank you for dropping all of your plans to come over and take care of us. Even though it meant you got that same flu a few days later.

16 - Thank you for pushing my comfort zone. As a new mom, I have been terrified to leave my babies. Your encouragement to join you for coffee, a movie, a sporting event and even an all day wine tour have all been exactly what I needed. I worry leading up to the event, but then have a great time and have learned to totally trust that whoever is with the kids, probably has it under control.

17 - Thank you for helping me with the kids when my husband has to go out of town for work.

18 - Thank you for telling me I look good. I need to hear that sometimes, and I hold you kid-less people in high regard, so it means a lot to me!

19 - Thank you for being cool with me being a bit of a shut in these past 16 months. It is a bit hard to leave the house with babies. Sometimes I am just too exhausted to after a busy week balancing kids, errands and a full time job. Sometimes I just want to soak in my new family, and hang with the littles who wont stay little for long.

20 - Thank you for understanding that I can't do all of the fun things I used to do, yet still want to hang out with me anyway. Thanks for not totally forgetting about me, and keeping me in mind for plans, even if I have said no a few more times in a row than I should have.  And thank you for being so understanding when I have to cancel our get togethers last minute. And thank you for giving me advance notice, so I can arrange for a sitter or make sure my husband is home.

21 - Thank you for bringing me food and supplies, especially when the babies were new. This generosity will never be forgotten. Thank you for putting up with me constantly feeding newborn babies without the boob cover, and not having much to offer to the conversation.


*I am writing this post in response to all of the ugly blog entries written by moms about their childless friends who "don't get it." Guess what? Its good to have multiple perspectives on life. And you shouldn't be so nasty to your friends!