Here I am, well into my stay-at-home mom adventure. It’s been…let me see…if I did my math right…just about 4.5 months. Damn. That seems like forever and like I just stared at the same time. Funny how that happens.

I have to make a confession. I’m quiet. I’m shy. I don’t do well when I meet people for the first time. I clam up, my mind goes blank and I can’t think of a single thing to talk about. It’s really pretty sad. I mean, I’ve had a few years to figure out how to talk to people, yet I never seem to get the hang of it. I knew that being a SAHM would really challenge this. I vowed that I would not sit at home, trying to entertain a toddler by myself all day long. Not only would I go stir crazy, and probably end up a little twitchy, the kiddo would really miss out on the socialization he had at day care. So I promised the kiddo, and myself, that we would be as active as possible in playgroups, playdates, swim lessons, classes and any other fun activities that pop up. Even though it isn’t really my thing, I did it.

Surprise, surprise, I’ve starting making some friends. I see the same faces showing up, the same kids, moms and dads. Best of all, I talk to them. And I’m getting to know them. I actually feel like I have some brand new friends! It’s amazing to me, because I’m getting more comfortable talking to people that I don’t know. I have the perfect opener, expressing interest in their kids! It can’t get much simpler than that.

This really caught me by surprise. That I could start to be more comfortable around people. That I could actually enjoy meeting new people, connecting with them, all while watching my kiddo race around, playing to his heart’s content. I never would have guessed that one of the many, many benefits of staying at home, other than being able to raise my son first hand, would be that I actually came out of my shell a little. I like this new part of myself!

I guess that by staying at the same job, at a teeny-tiny company, with the same people 1-3, for 8 years, I really forgot how to talk to new people. Sure, I had customers to talk to, but it was usually about a project. Get the info, get off the phone, get to work. I guess that’s what happens when you get trapped in something that is too familiar. You forget to look outside, to see that there are other things going on. New and exciting people to connect with. New opportunities to explore. And I’m lucky enough to be able to find all of these things with the kiddo in hand. I love my “job”!

Allison Butt blogs on Alli 'n Son.