38 ways to know you've got a MBFF or two

How do you know if you have Mom's Best Friend(s) Forever. Try this handy checklist - created with my MBFFs.  How many more indicators are there of true MBFFs?  Send your leading MBFF indicators to me. It takes a village and I know I'm thankful for mine.

  1. She knows your kids’ schedules better than your husband does.
  2. Her kids will ask if they can come home with you, if that suits their schedule better than the original plan.  You’ll say yes.
  3. No parent that knows you both is surprised when you show up to pick up her kid(s), even though yours isn’t there
  4. You frequently start text exchanges with “u driving down? Staying?”
  5. Your spouses are not surprised when you have a different number or group of children at home or in the car than they helped create.
  6. She’s picked up your pet names for your kids, or created her own, and your kids respond to them instinctively.
  7. She is first on your emergency contact list
  8. She CAN believe that your child just did that, because hers did it last week or will next week.
  9. She’ll host your kid’s birthday party when your house is under construction.
  10. She’s on your kid’s side, particularly when your kid is struggling.
  11. She’ll protect and love your kids fiercely.
  12. She lets other parents know that she’s on your kid’s side when they’re being nasty or insensitive.
  13. She “explains” to other kids why their parents are enraged that they deliberately hurt your kid.
  14. When your kids fight with each other, she’s more interested in the long-term relationship than placing blame.
  15. She will come to your child’s dance recitals, school play and championships (real or not) – if you tell her it’s important to your child.
  16. Her parents will know your kids…well. They’ll even be your child’s VIP guest at school when your parents aren’t around.
  17. The kids will miss each other dearly when they start going to sleep away camp, but it’s wonderful to see the hugs upon return.   You’d never be apart from your MBFF for that long.
  18. She’s willing to host your children for a week or more if you need it.
  19. She can fix boo boos and wipe up blood.
  20. Your kids share illnesses frequently. No big deal.
  21. You’ll let the kids do things together that you don’t let them do with other kids – very rough and tumble play, sleepovers at earlier ages.  You know she won’t blame you if her kid gets hurt during that play and all kids will be in trouble if they don’t go to sleep.
  22. You frequently trade kids so that everyone has fun and has space because…
  23. Your kids bicker more like siblings than cousins or other close friends.
  24. Your children don’t question her authority.
  25. Consequences for one are upheld in both households.
  26. Screen time rules are respected across households.
  27. You’ll have your own traditions across families, like opening birthday presents together, spending birthday dinners together on their REAL birthday, playing together the day before school starts in the fall, making sure to celebrate certain holidays together
  28. She’ll give your kids money when needed and vice versa.  Someday you’ll settle as best you can.
  29. She interviews your prospective nanny or au pair to make sure he/she really will be a good fit
  30. She gives you food you meant to make and forgot/ran out of time
  31. She asks what you need at Costco and buys it.
  32. Your family (or part of it) can show up for dinner – en masse or individually, without planning it
  33. She’ll take your most difficult child (today) and give you a night off.  In fact, she’ll take all of them if she thinks you need it.
  34. She’ll tell you things you need to hear, especially when it’s hard.
  35. She’ll intercept your child, in your home, when she knows you have had enough.
  36. She’ll walk and talk as long as you need.
  37. She’ll get that her “hard” and your “hard” are different and equal
  38. She’ll come over after bedtime with your vice of choice and stay as long as you need her to.