Ottawa

Tinder for moms: New app connects stay-at-home moms

Tinder exploded as eager singles swiped to try and meet their next significant other, now a mom is trying to harness that idea for new moms looking for friends.

App creator hosting playgroup Friday afternoon in Ottawa

Audrey Poulin, creator of Social.Mom, said her loneliness prompted her to facilitate relationships between other moms. (Supplied)

A Montreal woman is coming to Ottawa to help lonely moms meet up using an app that harnesses the power of the Tinder phenomenon. 

Audrey Poulin, a mother of two, said she was lonely after she moved away from friends in Montreal to a small town to be near her family. 

"I missed friends, I wanted to connect with real moms," she said. 

Poulin and her family travel in this bright pink RV, hosting social events for stay-at-home moms. (Supplied)

Poulin was experiencing loneliness that she said many other women struggle with. Not everyone can relate to changing diapers and running errands.

So Poulin created a free app called Social.Mom — think Tinder for families. 

"(It's) to share our challenges and our difficulties, and to not feel alone," she said.

Moms 'just need to have friends'

Before launching her project, Poulin said she tried to socialize on Facebook groups for moms but never found a personal connection. 

People online are locked behind a facade, she added, and the interactions didn't feel real. 

The app detects moms within a certain distance, and provides information on how many children they have and what their ages are. 

"A lot of moms just need to have friends," Poulin said.

She is hosting a play group in Ottawa at Brewer Park Friday at 3 p.m.