Is it just us, or is making a new friend in your 40s harder than finding a pair of jeans that fits both your waist and your ego? In this episode, Julie and Jenny dive into the results of our anonymous community poll to find out why midlife friendships feel like a full-time job. We’re exposing the truth about who we’re letting into our inner circles—and why your husband seems to be making besties at the car wash while you're struggling to sync a coffee date.

• [00:31] Midlife Moments: Jenny’s exploding toiletry bag and Julie’s "genius" (but potentially disappointing) family Christmas gift.
• [04:20] The Data Breakdown: Why 50% of women have only made one or two close friends in the last five years, while 100% of the men polled claim to be making new besties left and right.
• [06:52] The "Kid Connection": How our children’s social lives dictate our own, and the phases of making friends on the sidelines of soccer fields.
• [08:19] The Friendship Breakup: Why intentionally "editing" your social circle is more common than you think.
• [13:52] The Pro Tip: Why you should be careful about getting too close to your kids' friends' parents.
• [17:15] The 7-Year Rule: The fascinating research that says we replace half of our close social network every seven years.

• The Fire Blanket: Julie’s favorite new practical safety gift.
• The Dutch Sociology Study: On the 7-year cycle of replacing social networks.

• Take our NEW Survey: Are you actually having fun, or just managing a to-do list? Spill it here: www.midlifeconfidential.com/poll
• Follow us on Instagram: @MidlifeConfidential
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