James Glenos

The most important thing a millennial family can do for their kids is: 1. Move to a neighborhood w/ enough young families 2. Get involved in school, church and sports 3. Let the kids 'off the leash' enough i.e. play outside w/o you having to be there the whole time 4. Invite people over to your house constantly... This has changed our social life dramatically in just 2 years where we have many friends + our kids do too *** #1. You must move to an area that is family centric and has young families. Do as much on-the-ground research you can of every neighborhood to figure this out. Be willing to overspend if needed #2. Be a part of the school as a parent whether PTA or volunteering . Do the same at church and your kids sports. People who 'lead' or 'coach' meet a lot of people very fast. Bleacher parents have a harder road. #3. Be willing to let your kids explore the neighborhood, go knock on doors, etc. Sure, schedule some playdates, but make sure they've also met all the similar-aged kids in the neighborhood. Go to the pool in the summer and talk to people #4. You must invite people. Those who connect people are the most magnetic. People want to be around those folks. Open your home even if it's a little messy. Doesn't need to be fancy. Order pizza for a group, people will love it. Invite different groups over. One group is from church, another is sports parents, etc. Combine the groups at the holidays so people can meet other new folks. This is how you build a community for your kids to thrive in. It took us 8 years from having a kid to figure it out. BONUS --- have more than 1 kid. Multiple kids expands your circle even more as it opens more doors to meeting new families.