If you’ve ever watched your children on the playground or in any social situation, it is so easy for them to make friends. They simply go up to other kids and just start talking. Granted, the conversation isn’t always of real substance (my son recently walked up to a little girl and told her what he ate for lunch that day), but it works. By the end of the hour, a new best friend has been made.
I’m not sure where we veered off this path, but making adult friends is so much more difficult. It can be hard to find someone who shares your same interests, or who just “gets you.” When you’re a new mom, the need for friends can be even more important than ever since being alone with a small child all day can be incredibly isolating. Luckily someone had an idea that could make befriending other adults (specifically other moms) a little easier.
The Peanut app should be every new mom’s best friend. (Or more accurately, it can help every new mom find a best friend.) It is similar to Tinder, in that you post a profile, and see the profiles of other moms, and then you swipe in one direction or another, based on whether you might like to meet up with the person. It’s a way to get moms out of the house and talking to each other about what is going on their lives.
Carla Wiking signed up on Peanut and elaborated on her experience on Mom.me:
The first thing Peanut asks you to do is enter the gender and age of your kids which is easy enough. Then they ask you to choose three icons that are designed to sum you up as a mother. It’s meant to be playful, but I saw the potential for some serious mommy war[s]... There were choices like Hot Mess, Fashion Killer, Mom Boss, Routine Queen, Strictly Organic and Dr. Google. It took me an hour to decide, but I ultimately went with Crafty, Wine Time and Bookworm.
Next up was the bio. I did my best to craft something that sounded fun and casual. Later, I would discover that some women used this space to be really clear on where they stood on the pressing issues of the modern mother, i.e., fed is best and vaccines save lives. My very favorite one was also the most honest. It simply read, “Well, this is awkward.”
Once you upload a few profile pics, you’re finally ready to start playing the field. Let me just say that I totally understand why dating apps are so popular. It was incredibly fun to check out the profiles—although it’s really hard to tell from a few icons, pictures and small blurb who you’re going to have a deep connection with.
If you find yourself needing more than just singing “The Wheels on the Bus” day in and day out, you might want to check Peanut out. Finding a friend could be as easy as telling someone what you ate for lunch today.
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