Weird playdate behaviour

[Playdateanxiety5]

I'm hoping someone can reassure me!

DS is 8 and an absolutely lovely boy. However he can behave really oddly on playdates, like he has had a personality transplant 😅he will typically be a little shy/anxious at first but once more at ease, he will go completely the other way and be overly rowdy or brash.

He went on a playdate yesterday and I was so mortified with the way he was when I picked him up. I think nerves get the better off him?

I feel sorry for the lovely parents and friend who invited him. Is this fairly normal, or would you judge my child/my parenting in this situation? I am not sure whether to send a quick apology message or not.

I don't think he was unkind or running riot, but I am just sad they didn't get to see his usually calm, lovely and kind self. I think they were a little bemused. I also hope he hasn't affected the friendship by acting this way.

Any tips on how to make things easier for him next time? I don't know if it's just a touch of social anxiety/awkwardness?

He was probably fine the whole way through the playdate and then acted up when you arrived.

I don't know how many feet I've had to hold down and force into shoes both from my DS and his friends to get them to leave. It always seems to turn into full on giddy hideousness at home time.

Though I remember being awful to my parents. Once at my BF house, me my BF and our sisters hid in the eaves of the roofspace at home time for hours. We heard them go searching the local area. They called the police!!!!!
And we still didn't come down.
Hours later we sheepishly decended
80s parents that they were - we got the wooden spoon very severely that day