We all need A ‘Mum Friend’

We’ve all had a ‘mum friend’ at some point, maybe you have one now or maybe you are the mum friend. I feel as though I myself have taken this role before, in old friendship groups or sometimes on a singular night out when maybe I felt I was the most responsible. It seems to be an interchangeable role, but always an important one, nonetheless. 

Right now, we’re in a time of crisis. Our government is a mess, the climate crisis is not getting any better and young people have never felt more uncertain for their future. We all know that being a young adult is hard, but it especially brings its challenges in 2019; we’re all trying to do well in our education, or work hard and pay bills and deal with the ridiculous standards social media sets for us to look and act perfect that generations previous to ours did not have to battle with. Having a mum friend provides us with that little bit of comfort we all want whilst at work, university or college. 

Having that supportive role has given me comfort when I first moved out of my home for university, someone to maybe show me how to cook something or just offer to be there if I needed help. I’ve also been that person, offering a shoulder to cry on and sensible advice. I’ve been there to protect my drunk friends and make sure they got home safe and that they didn’t drink anymore. 

I think we’re all trying to be kinder to ourselves, and that little extra reminder to put on a jacket or the question of “are you okay?” can also go a long way in helping us do so. Some people may argue that all good friends should do this, and a lot of them do, but the difference is in how a mum friend provides security, they are always a grounded person. Someone who maybe lives more of an introverted life, or maybe knows their limits and has a good balance between having fun and knowing when its going too far. 

All good friends take care of each other, of course! But a mum friend will keep everyone in check, they are back bone of every friendship group. People often have the tendency to think if you’re a mum friend you’re boring, but in reality everyone wants comfort and security, it's human nature to want to be cared for and feel safe, and for people who live away from home or have a strained relationship with parents, that care giving figure can make things a whole lot easier for you and provide that little extra confidence boost. 

So, if you’re a mum friend I would like to say thank you. You are underrated and you are not the boring one. You provide your friends with wise words, you put other people first, you care a lot for your friends, you are kind and you are important. Thank you for being that person who everyone can rely on, it’s a tough job, give yourself credit.