“Research suggests that, just as everyone warned me, new parents commonly experience estrangement from their friends. The charity Action for Children, as part of broader research into loneliness, surveyed 2,000 parents. It found that the majority (68 percent) felt “cut off” from friends, colleagues, and family after the birth of a child. Common reasons for this feeling of isolation included lack of money and the inability to leave the house when caring for small children.” The Atlantic: What Happens to Your Social Life When You Have a Baby? (It gives you an excuse to avoid any event and it is awesome. The first night my wife and I left a dinner party after only five minutes because our baby was home crying was one of the greatest nights of my life.)