Do you organise play dates for your child?

[MrsT&Ben]

I'm feeling like a bad mummy at the moment because I never organise play dates for my son. No parent has ever asked me so I haven't either.
He hasn't really shown much interest either.

Do you organise them for your 5 year old?

 

[OmarsMum]

No not now, when he was younger yes I used to organise play dates & meet new mums, but now he goes to school full time & he attends several classes & after school activities so there is no need to play dates

 

[aimee-lou]

I have only ever had 1 'play date'. It was his best friend from pre-school who came to tea. I have 3 of my own to deal with so having people over is not top of my agenda and they all got to school/childcare of some description so get interaction there. Earl does have 1 friend at school I'd like to have over to tea one night but there's so many issues with that, not least being that we don't have a dining table! lol

 

[Cattia]

I have friends who I see most days in the week and we do tea at one another's houses so the kids pay together, but that's more for me so I can see my friends! My DD' s best friend from school left and went to another school so me and her mum have made quite a bit of effort to make play dates for them, and now I'm worried about her not having her best friend at school any more I'm going to try to organise play dates with a couple of other girls in her class. Tbh that's because I'm being neurotic about her friendships at school, not sure it's a good thing!

 

[Vickie]

We have a group of neighbor kids that generally all play together out back after school at least half the week. In the mornings my son and I usually play with another set of neighbor kids haha.

Actually organizing play dates I really only do it for Hannah's best friend and that's only because we moved in August so in order for them to spend time together I do have to organize something now. I try to get them together around once a month but sometimes more or sometimes less depending on how busy we are.

I also sometimes have my friends with kids over during the breaks or we meet at a mall or have lunch or something. But that's more for me.

 

[CaptainMummy]

Me and my friend meet up at least once A week (at either hers or mine) and the kids play (she has twi girls the same age as my eldest two.) but that is for us all. Keeps them happy and we get a chat and a bit of peace (well, not really... But its less stressful lol.)
My dd1 has been invited over to her friend from preschools house a few times and she has also had two sleepovers With her. Her friend is coming up to ours after preschool for lunch this week too.

 

[northern_me]

I do for kids that she doesn't go to school with.

 

[Odd Socks]

no, but we see their friends at our house of friend's houses frequently. we're lucky to have close friends who live very close by & who are practically family. we spend a lot of time with them (3 other families), that we don't really have any other time free for playdates with other people from school

 

[shanny]

Yes in the holidays but these are really more child swap situations so parents can have a break or work

Also swap toddler in term time with another toddler dad too

When they weren't at school I did a lot of play dates though I think they are great for kids and parents

 

[alibaba24]

I do but not nearly as often as I would like to. my friend has a 4 year old daughter and an almost 2 year old and we meet every couple of weeks and head to a softplay or park or something. we try for every week but life gets in the way! I wish I knew more people with kids my daughters age. I feel odd about approaching random parents not something i would tend to do

 

[jd83]

No, I don't really organize play dates. We're too busy to have much time for one. He's in preschool, so sees his friends there, then both kids are in spring sports so they see their team at practices/games. We have kids in the neighborhood they see at home. Occasionally we get together for play dates with some of my friends so we can catch up, and the kids play while we are chatting. Its never really anything organized though; just an impromptu get together and we sit and chat while the kids are running around, lol.

 

[RachA]

For my eldest yes I do. It usually works out that once a half term he goes to a friends house and once a half term that same friend comes to out house. I don't mind doing it but I couldn't do what some people do and have people round twice a week.

With my daughter I'd love to. She's been at school 7 months and has never been invited to anyone's house. I really want to invite a friend round but because of her development issues she still only plays along side other children and not with them.

 

[Natsku]

Once in a very rare while I'll arrange a meet-up with a friend in another city who has a kid a year older than Maria.

Otherwise I don't really need to as there's a bunch of kids living near us and Maria just goes round their house nearly every day now and plays with them, or plays outside or in the park across the street. No need for me to organise anything!

I'd love to organise a playdate with her best friend from daycare but (and this is going to sound bad but honestly don't mean it in any bad way) I think she is Roma and Roma women don't really mix with non-Roma women so I don't think her mum would agree to a playdate. Which is a pity as they are such good friends. We're joining a football club (signing up today) so hopefully we'll meet some new friends there that we can have playdates with as I'd love to get to know some other parents.

 

[Kte]

I have never had anyone else around for her from school. She was invited to play with some of them in the park whilst the parents had a natter as we all live nearby (street joins the park) but sadly she had a meltdown so we missed getting there. That's prob eliminated all other invitations! Other kids in her class do it all the time. To be honest I'm glad she hasn't been invited as I still feel she is too young to go to someone else's house I don't know. I also don't feel like I could cope with someone else's child yet either!

 

[dizzy65]

My son is 4.5 and we have done play dates for him ever since he was born, he has a bunch of really close friends from pre school and what not, and i get along with all the parents which makes it really easy

 

[Natasha2605]

Not at home because I hate my home being messy and surprise surprise, that's what kids do haha!

If it's a nice day I don't mind the girls having a friend in the garden.

We often arrange playdates for parks, softplays etc.