My son is an only child, the other mom says. He is not used to playing with other kids. My toddler has just climbed onto a stool beside a stack of wooden blocks. The goal? To build a pyramid.
The two kids carefully place block after block in the center of the diagram. The corners? Have them stumped. The other mom and I step in, pointing to shapes that match the outlined areas. My daughter defers to the older boy, letting him guide her in placing blocks. And by the end of the play session? He is protective of her right to build when another child arrives.
Every time I go places, I never know who my family is going to meet. Sometimes, I hear my name called in a checkout line. In front of the Liberty Bell. And other times? We make new friends. How do we do this? By sharing bonding experiences.
Whenever possible, I exchange email addresses. Connect with new friends on social media. And then? The next time we meet, we are old friends making another memory together.
Kathy Zucker is an international social media Shorty Award winner, mother of three and a startup founder at companies including the Metro Moms Network®.
