There is nothing more fulfilling than having a group of friends who love and support each other. Having a network of people you know you can trust to be there for you when you need them is incredibly important, even if hanging out with them often causes a little chaos. Every friend group needs the friend who is level-headed and always prepared for anything. Whether you plan to go out late or a friend is in need, it’s always helpful to be able to take on the ‘mom’ role if things start to get out of control. There are many ways you can be a supportive and responsible bestie when you need to be.
Being Prepared
A good friend knows how to keep the energy going and what their friends need to feel their best. If you know you’re going to be out for a while, being active, bringing some extra snacks can help you prepare for the inevitable energy crash, especially if you just know somebody is going to forget to eat before you leave. Being a ‘girl’s girl’ also means being dependable and the person your friends look to for emergency band-aids or sanitary products. Problems happen sometimes, so having extra care items means that you’ve got your friends covered if someone forgets something. It’s rewarding to be the person people turn to for extra tissues, or to be able to help someone out because you brought extra gloves or hand warmers, ‘just in case’ someone forgot.
Giving Support
While being a dependable friend is fulfilling, it can also be overwhelming when everyone starts to turn to you for advice. Managing both your own mental wellness while still being able to support friends in need can be difficult at first, but it becomes easier with practice. Meeting up with friends is a great opportunity to be vulnerable and share what is going on in your life with people you trust. Your friends value your opinions and might ask for your advice, but remember that you can also be open with them, and you should value their feedback as much as they value yours. Having a network of friends is really helpful because it is not your responsibility to shoulder someone else’s struggles, so if you are overwhelmed and not in a position to help a friend in need, your mutual friends should be able to take on that role. It’s always okay to say that you aren’t able to help them right now, as your needs are just as important as theirs and deserve to be prioritized.
Being a mom friend means not only looking out for your friends but also for other girls, and being someone reliable and trustworthy. Friend groups have a responsibility to look after each other, which means that there should never be one person supporting everybody else. Girls need to lean on each other, so no one is neglected or spread too thin. This mentality of girls supporting girls ultimately creates friendships and brings people closer together.