By EM RUSCIANO.
I have a confession to make, yes another one.
I am not a fan of “play dates” after school. Aside from that, I am even less of a fan of the term “play date” because it gives me the heebie geebies. Like it is some kind of weird pretend interaction between small people, you’re not on a date either.
Calm down ok? You’re hanging out, eating dirt and causing mischief. Don’t call it a date, piss the “play” part off as well!
Remember when you could just turn up to a mate’s house, bash on the door and then head out on an adventure. Now we have to book it in! I would much rather a kid turn up to my house unannounced and ask to play with my kids than have to make an appointment. I feel so trapped, so scheduled.
I don’t really want other people’s kids here after school. I love other peoples kids, I do – just not at my house during the week. If you are reading this and your kid is friends with my kid it’s okay, I will still do it and I don’t mind that much, I’m just having a vent.
Mid-week my house isn’t tidy, it resembles a laundry stuck in the middle of a war zone. 5-7pm is the witching hour, you know it and I know it. Having someone else’s child here makes it hard to keep things moving along. I have to feed them, make sure they are having a good time and and prepare for the inevitable shit fight of dinner/shower/teeth/story/bed. I just can’t be arsed doing that with another kid around to be honest.
Top Comments
I dont do school night playdates at all. Just a big no from me. On weekends feel free to visit if we are not attending another kids party.
Your child needs some playdates to develop one-on-one social skills. The main complaint from parents about playdates seems to be that they aren't interested in making new friends. Ditch the snotty attitude. You can never have enough friends, and you will never know when you might need help from one of those parents that you snubbed earlier. It won't kill you to make small talk with another parent for one hour while your kids play together.