One of the biggest changes after becoming a parent was realising how important other parent friends suddenly became.
Parenting can feel isolating at times, especially in the early years. Having people who understand the realities of daily life—sleep deprivation, tantrums, and all the small everyday struggles—can make things feel much more manageable.
These are some of the places where I ended up meeting other parent friends in London.
Peanut: Finding my first mum friends
In the UK, one of the most common ways expecting parents meet others is through NCT (National Childbirth Trust) antenatal classes, where many parents build friendships even before their babies are born. However, I was pregnant while the effects of the pandemic were still lingering, and many of those classes were still running online at the time.
So instead, I joined an app called Peanut, which is often jokingly described as “Tinder for mums”. It’s a platform designed to help local mums and expecting women connect with one another.
That’s where I met some of my very first mum friends. What started as online chats gradually turned into meetings in person with our growing pregnancy bumps, and eventually became part of our early parenting journeys.
Five of us ended up forming a small group, and honestly, it became a really special part of that stage of life. We gave birth one by one, only days apart, shared first-time parenting struggles late into the night, and went on outings together with our babies. Even now, we still meet up regularly—sometimes with the kids, sometimes just as mums ourselves.
Play groups & baby classes
As I wrote in another post, we attended quite a few baby classes and playgroups, and these became another major place where I met other parents.
I found that most new parents are generally quite open to connecting with others, even if some of us may initially feel a little shy or awkward. Once you start seeing the same faces repeatedly, conversations tend to happen naturally.
Some of those casual conversations eventually turned into proper friendships. I still regularly meet up with three mums I met through baby sensory classes, and they eventually became some of my closest friends.
I’ve never personally tried them, but I imagine other activities like buggy walks, baby yoga, or mum-and-baby fitness classes could also be great ways to meet people. Compared to more structured classes, they probably create an even more relaxed setting for conversation and getting to know others naturally.
Park, playgrounds & soft plays
Parks and playgrounds are another place where you naturally end up meeting lots of other parents.
At first, everyone feels like a stranger, but if you regularly visit the same park or playground around the same time, familiar faces start appearing quickly.
I found that casual conversations often happen naturally once children start playing together. Sometimes that develops into arranging playdates, and sometimes it simply stays as friendly “park friendships”, where both the children and parents enjoy seeing each other occasionally.
Soft plays can create similar opportunities too, although personally, I found them a little harder for socialising when my child was younger. At that age, I often spent most of the time following her around the play area rather than sitting down and chatting properly with other parents. I also usually went to soft plays with another friend already, which probably made me less likely to start conversations with new people.
Still, even small interactions in these everyday parenting spaces can make daily life feel a little less isolating, especially during the early years, when many parents are looking for connection in one way or another.
Nursery
Once my daughter started nursery, it became one of the main ways we got to know other parents. It also brought more opportunities—and sometimes a little pressure—to socialise with other families.
At first, most interactions were small conversations during drop-off and pick-up times. Gradually, I started recognising which child belonged to which parent, where people roughly lived, and who my daughter especially enjoyed playing with.
Many nurseries also have parents’ WhatsApp groups, which can become another space where parents exchange information, arrange playdates, or simply become more familiar with one another. Nursery events also tend to create more relaxed opportunities for longer conversations beyond the usual quick chats.
Interestingly, over time, I also realised that children often end up shaping their parents’ social relationships too. As my daughter grew older, her own friendships started influencing which parents we spent more time with, and which families naturally became part of our routine.
Birthday parties
Children’s birthday parties can also be good places to meet other parents.
Unlike playgrounds or random classes, everyone already has something in common—you are all connected through the host family, and usually, the children are around similar ages, too. That often makes conversations feel easier and more natural.
If the party is connected to nursery or school, it can also become a good opportunity to get to know parents you may normally only see briefly during drop-off and pick-up times.
Interestingly, even when parties are not directly connected to nursery or any regular groups you are part of, you often end up seeing the same families repeatedly over the years, simply because your social circles already overlap in different ways. Some parents we first met at birthday parties later became family friends as the children eventually ended up attending the same school.
Online communities
Local Facebook parenting groups can also be helpful places to meet other parents. I occasionally came across posts from parents looking for friends with children of similar ages, and I can imagine this being especially helpful for parents who are new to an area or feeling isolated.
I also met several Korean mums through online communities. I naturally wanted mum friends who shared a similar cultural background and language, but since there are not many Korean families where I live, I ended up looking for connections online instead.
In my case, this happened through a Korean online community (Naver Café). A small group of us ended up chatting on KakaoTalk almost every day, sharing parenting information, nursery worries, and everyday struggles. Over time, those online friendships became real-life friendships too, and I still meet up with some of them now.
At the same time, parent friendships can sometimes begin in the most unexpected ways. Once, I sold a baby item to another local mum, and while helping her load it into the car, we started chatting and discovered we had quite a lot in common. We never actually stayed in touch afterwards, but it did make me realise how easily certain friendships can begin from very ordinary moments.
Things I learned
Like many other relationships in life, not every parent friendship lasts—and I think that’s completely normal.
Over the years, I exchanged numbers with many parents, had WhatsApp conversations, arranged playdates, and then naturally drifted apart from most of them.
In some ways, it honestly reminded me a little of dating. Sometimes you meet someone and immediately feel excited to connect, but after a few messages or a playdate, you realise the connection simply doesn’t develop further. Sometimes life simply gets busy. Sometimes children don’t really click. And sometimes there is no particular reason at all.
At first, I probably took these things a little more personally. But over time, I learned to approach parent friendships more naturally. You try, and if the connection works well, that’s something to really celebrate. If not, it doesn’t necessarily have to end badly or be completely closed off either. Parenting journeys are long, and children’s lives often overlap again in unexpected ways. You never really know when you might cross paths again later on.
I’ve also come to feel that meeting other parents comes more naturally to some people than others. Some are naturally outgoing and comfortable starting conversations, while others may feel more shy or reserved in social settings. For international parents, language barriers or cultural differences can sometimes make things feel even more intimidating at first.
Sometimes, even starting a small conversation can feel like stepping slightly out of your comfort zone. But I’ve gradually come to see that as part of growing into parenthood too—learning to open yourself up to new people, unfamiliar situations, and different kinds of relationships.
Multilingual Family in London 
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