FlorenceMom.com Blogs

It's been exactly 3 years since we've moved to South Carolina from Southern California and it's been quite an experience for me to adjust from a different lifestyle to an unknown territory with no friends nor family nearby. The truth is, moving to a new environment and knowing nobody is difficult, AT FIRST. It'll take time and patience to find new friends and get familiar with your surroundings. If you are a new mom who just moved here from a different place as well, the first year will probably be rough but it gets BETTER! Just hang in there. I believe in the natural courses of things. Making friends is something that should come naturally when you just "clique" with the right person. But you can't meet anyone by staying at home so it does take a bit of effort.

Here are some ways I've discovered in Florence that could help you find other moms to connect with:

• Take your little one to The Little Gym of Florence. With classes for 4 month old babies and up, you get to meet other moms/guardians who have little ones within the same age group as your own baby, toddler or child. See more details on The Little Gym of Florence.
• Join a local Mom's Group. There's been a few mom's groups that have come and go on MeetUp.com for Florence. I've also seen moms groups being created on Facebook but the longest standing group I've seen so far in the past 5 years is MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) group in Florence. They meet twice a month on Tuesdays at 9:00am for a couple of hours during the school season. This group is open to any mom who has a kid(s) from newborn - age 5, through kindergarten. It is suggested to contact their group leader before attending.
• Go to story time at the Florence County Library on. S Dargan St. with your kids. Your kids will enjoy it and you will also be able to meet other moms with kids around the same age. The bonus is it's free. They have different times for different age groups for your kids. Check out the different story times by going on the event page under "Story Times".
• Go to the Ebenezer Park in West Florence with your kids. They have different slides for toddlers and bigger kids and everything is padded on the playground. Every time I go there, there is always a family or another mom there with their kid(s). 
• Take time to get to know your husband's coworkers' wives. They might have wives who share the same interests and hobbies as you. I know this can be hard though, from personal experience. 
• Get to know your neighbors. More likely than not, there is a facebook group for the subdivision you are living in. People in Florence love facebook! While there is a big divide on thoughts on making connections through social media from people living in major cities, here in Florence, most people are big on it, especially Facebook! 
• Join Greater Florence Chamber of Commerce and/or Young Professionals of Florence as a member if you are also a working mom! They have great networking events after work hours and seasonal events. To see their websites, go to the "relocating" page here.