When Max started school I was really apprehensive. I've always found it tough to make mum friends outside of blogging as let's face it, we can all sympathise about press releases and juggling a full time hobby and kids. But knew I needed to push myself when it came to school gate mums as Max would be with these kids for the next 6 years at least.

I'm fortunate that I've found a lovely group of mums and all our kids have grouped together to become really good friends in class. We walk to school with some of them and have play dates with others and we are even planning mum's nights out (whether it actually happens we don't know!) but I know it can be tricky to get to that stage so here are some things that I found helpful.

• Find out who your child plays with - You don't really want to be making friends with a parent if your kids really don't get along as it feels like a forced friendship on them. Having said that it's good to talk to everyone as kids seem to pick and choose friends as fast as they change their socks.
  
• Don't hang back - I've seen a few parents hang back in the playground and stand on their phones at the back. It makes them seem a mix of unsociable and as if they don't want to talk to anyone. I found that when I started approaching a couple of the mums it became so much easier to chat each time we turned up at the school gates.
  
• Suggest play dates - We started off by mentioning to a few mums back in September that we would be taking Max to play in the park across the road after school one day and they were welcome to join us. We ended up making it a regular thing and until recently when the weather turned it was a great way to sit and chat with a new face.
  
•  Find mums on the same school walk as you - We are lucky that we walk to school along a main road. This means that several of his school friends walk the same way. So as the kids walk along together it's given me a chance to talk to the mums and make friends that way.
  
• Join the PTA - When Max started school, the first thing my mum said was to join the PTA. It's a great way to get involved with the school, find out what's going on and make friends with other mums. Most of the other parents in the PTA have kids in older years but it's great to chat to people and make new friends.
  
• Don't be afraid - At the end of the day you are all there to ensure that your child has a good education. You don't need to show off, be the loudest or even the best you just need to be you. Go there with a smile on your face and catch the eye of someone and you never know what might happen.