My 9 YEAR OLD HAS HIS FIRST EVER PLAY DATE!

[BLUESEAPARADISE]

AIBU to shout this from the roof tops?!

My 9 year old has been invited to go on his FIRST ever play date today and I am so pleased for him!!

My DS has autism and a whole range of other health issues and doesn't really have any " friends" and because of this he has never ever had a play date .. until today!

He has been invited to go around someone's house today for a play and tea ... he went off today with his supplies ( very very fussy so packed him off with his usual custard and salt and vinegar crisps!) and he is so excited and proud of himself 🙈

I am over the moon for him and so happy he finally has a friend and is going on a play date!

Hopefully this is just the start of some amazing things to come ... !!!!!!

Please try and keep in mind next time you have a birthday party / arranging a play date think of the quiet children in your DS/DD class ... my son is 9 and is non verbal and has only just been invited on his first ever play date and has still NEVER been invited to a birthday party ... ( even though we always invite children around here )

So proud of my little man!

@10FingersOnTheFender yep he loves salt and vinegar crisps and custard .. he only eats a hand full of things even after years of therapy and hard work ... just pleased he doesn't dip the crisps in the custard! Lol 😂

How lovely!! How did she know that the washing machine would calm him?

Hope he had a blast! Let us know how he gets on!

oops... I read it initially as crisps flavoured custard/salt/vinegar!!!

Wondering where on earth you get those!

@PeterPiperPickedSeaShells because we spoke before hand about things our children enjoy and my son loves the washing machines

That's so lovely, OP. I'm so pleased for your DS and for you, too. I'm speaking as a mum who has 2 adopted DDs (8 and 5). DD1 has Attachment Disorder and never gets invited to play dates, except when she accompanies her popular little sister. I've arranged play dates at our home of course.

I hope it all goes really well!!

This news is so wonderful to read! I love happy news at the end of the day and this has definitely brought a smile to my face! So, SO pleased for you and your little boy! I hope the play date goes well and that he comes back all smiles, having had a great time! :) xx

Oh OP, this is lovely! Had to chip in and say hurray for your DS, hurray for you and hurray for play date mum. Hope he has a fab time (even if it’s just sitting against the washing machine!) and this is the first of many

Ohh my son has Asd this makes me so happy to read. He does get invited to the odd party thankfully but I know how much he struggles socially so does struggle to make friends. I hope your son has a lovely time.

Aww. I think you have left him in safe hands there OP.

Cautiousoptimist the main thing is it's just so lovely to be invited. Don't overthink it. I think it's nice to open the door a bit by saying something like if you have any questions/need more details please do ask. You don't need to go to the parent with a list of suggestions. I used to worry about imposing on parents of children with SEN by "obliging" them to stay for 2 hours of party hell but I was so wrong. It is such a pleasure to facilitate your child attending a party when they get invited to very few.

how fantastic, I hope he has a great time.

Brilliant, OP. Hope he has a fab time. My oldest is now early 20s (HF ASD), and I am still waiting for him to be invited on a playdate .

I hope he has a wonderful time!

Oh how lovely OP- I hope he has a great time!

Such a lovely post. The other mother sounds great too, with the washing machine trick. Best of wishes to you and your DS.

That is so lovely, I hope he has a lovely time and the friendship continues.

Thats so fab, I hope he comes back very excited about how well it went! :)

I can relate! DD has ADHD and is medicated quite a lot for her age, she is sociable but always always took it too far. So she didn’t get invited again.

She is 9 now and has a little gang of friends and they all get her and she gets that she is too much sometimes so has to leave.

It’s too emotional and I totally get how proud you are right now!

Well done little dude!

That's lovely. Glad your DS is enjoying himself

That's so lovely. Hope he has a great time x

So happy for you, OP. My DS2 with ASD was lucky enough to have one lovely friend with an equally lovely mum in primary school. It meant he had occasional play dates and even a couple of sleepovers. It was so sad when they moved away. DS2 has never had another friend, but he doesn't seem to be bothered. But having a few years of normal childhood experiences was wonderful.

As for parties, he was always invited to whole class parties and to a few boys parties but his dislike of football made that tricky. I'm forever grateful to the other parents of his classmates in primary school, they were very inclusive. Secondary was less successful, socially, as I needed to facilitate any out of school socialising parents don't tend to get involved in secondary school.

How absolutely lovely, hope he's having a fabulous time x

Omg! This made me cry!
Hope he had fun.

Aww how lovely! Hope he has fun and it's the first of many

Oooh im 32 and still put my feet on the washing machine if its spinning!

Fist-bump to your boy because ive never met anyone else who does this