to think this isn't a date?

[SquedgieBeckenheim]

4 year old boy out to the local soft play with 4 year old female friend.
Parents of boy calling this a date, and saying how they'll have trouble when he's older.
Surely this isn't a date? It's 2 friends going to play together? They're only calling it a date because it's a boy and a girl?

Agree completely and if this was my DD I'd be nipping it in the bud not least cause if DH heard his face would be a picture.

It's annoying because the implication is Boys and girls can't be friends except romantically. Vom.

Dare you to say 'ha, you're assuming your DS will be into girls' or 'DD can do better'.

Daft buggers. It's crap like that that starts girls and boys having seperate friendships.

Yanbu, that's cringey.

Do you take everything SO very literally OP?

It's ridiculous.

I can't stand all that "trouble when they're older/going to be a heartbreaker" crap, either.

OMG, lighten up.

Heaven help us, the parents have a sense of humour! Shame it's not contagious....

Yep CRINGE

It's a joke. Seriously, lighten up!

Could be worse - they could have said 'playdate'

They both sound as shit as eachother actually.

It's a "play date," isn't it? Cringe-inducing phrase but quite commonplace.

This made cringe too!

I'd maybe think it more a joke if they hadn't had their son buy his "date" flowers. It hints towards the sexualisation of children in my mind. But fine, IABU. At least I'm not the only one...
I'd prefer playdate actually!

It's a joke. Seriously, lighten up!

So what? Since when do jokes exist outside of the rest of culture?

Sexist jokes are not okay, so why would this be?

I'd maybe think it more a joke if they hadn't had their son buy his "date" flowers.

What the fuck?

It was in bad taste to say something like that, anyway, but to actually go and make a 4 year old buy flowers ... ugh.

He bought her flowers? What's that about?

It's something I might have said as a joke. Pure whimsy.

The flowers, however, are a bit strange unless it's a bit of an in-joke between them that you don't know about. They are only 4 after all.

It's a joke but not very funny.

Some adults are odd but I doubt the children involved are really aware of exactly what the adults are wittering on about.

I thought maybe your friends calling it a date was quite normal. I often call meet ups dates but not in a romantic way.

I can't decide whether them buying flowers for their DS to give to your DD is sweet or creepy.

You can laugh this one off with

Can you image a boy taking his parents on a date at 21...

perspicacia I get that the children don't understand at this age, but it's perpetuating the idea that boys and girls date, they can't just be friends. And if it starts at 4 it'll never end...

I might be wrong but I reckon it's a joke..... a bad one but still a joke

who indeed, that is true!

It's a bit yucky as it's kid of sexualising their sweet friendship