Being a mom can be a lonely role. A 2024 study published by The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center found that 66% of parents reported feeling isolated, and a whopping 79% reported a desire to connect with others outside of work and home.One mom on Reddit shared exactly how she went from feeling "so incredibly lonely" to having a "huge mom village" in just one year.She explained that it started at the end of 2024, when she found herself feeling really miserable and thinking about the new year ahead. - YouTube www.youtube.com "I don't speak to my family, my in-laws are out of state and honestly it was getting to the point where my husband was my only consistent friend," she wrote. "It can be really soul crushing to have no network of adults to share life with. I needed more connection."How she grew her "mom village"She decided to try the "most bottom barrel thing I could think of"—she planned a monthly mom dinner for fellow moms. Some she knew, some she didn't. "I invited every mom I knew, but that wasn't going to cut it so I started inviting moms I didn't know at all," she shared. "Make eye contact with me in the pick up area? Hey there, I have a monthly mom dinner I host if you want to come. Our kids are in the same class and I saw you for five minutes once from across the hall? Please take this invitation to my monthly mom dinner. We're FB friends who haven't seen each other in 20 years, but I saw your post about needing to get out? Mom dinner."In the comments, she explained that the dinners started out at restaurants, but that it cut "many moms due to finances and childcare," so she began to switch it up by adding in potlucks.She put herself out there by extending invites, something she said was "a little uncomfortable at first." However, the positive response quelled any of her insecurities."The overwhelming reaction was excitement and gratitude, so after the first few it became really easy," she wrote. "Women have been so receptive to hanging out with other women. I have had moms decline or not show up, but I have yet to feel rejected by anyone." She added that each fellow mom she encountered could relate to the need for a "Mom dinner.""Literally every single mom I've spoken to gets it," she added. "We all seem to be in the same sinking boat." @christines.life_ fully convinced that moms with a village have a completely different version of motherhood than those who don’t #motherhood #momlife #toddlermom #toddlermomlife #momtok The unexpected outcomesMomentum started to increase, and by six months in, she noticed she had added many more mom friends into her life."I went from having two mom friends that I knew would probably watch my kids in an emergency, to a real village with a bit more than 20 of those mom friends," she shared. "This was unimaginable to me when I started the dinner in 2025."Although she doubted her experiment would work, it did, and there was an unexpected benefit: "My kids are even having sleepovers now, that's how much trust and community we've built."Finally, she wants to encourage other moms to step outside their comfort zones."All it really took was the courage to say I'm lonely out loud to other people and a FB event invite," she explained. "It's been such a positive change in my life, so I just wanted to share my experience."Women enjoy dessert together. Photo credit: CanvaMoms reactHer idea to connect moms and build a strong fellowship of mom friends resonated with lonely mothers:"This is the way to do it. I did something similar, and it is SO AWKWARD to put yourself out there for a few months/a while and hope to get something back (especially as an introvert) but now we have annual egg hunts, July 4th parties, outdoor movie nights, summer parties, etc. where we just invite dozens of people and have this awesome little village community.""My social anxiety could never but it wishes it could.