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!

So lovely to hear. My ds with asd has had a rough time with friendships in secondary school, but now he has a friend he spends breaks with and walks home with-best feeling in the world when I have spotted them laughing together 😊

This is the absolute cutest! I love hearing things like this The thought of him sat with his feet on the washing machine, eating custard is making me want to cry! So so cute!!

I'm so glad the play date went well, OP, it's really lovely that your DS has a friend now, that will make his school days so much happier.

Yay! How wonderful for your son (and you!). You sound like a lovely mum. In fact, you all are

@defineme that’s wonderful. DS1 starts High School this year and I’ve been having actual nightmares (he’s had a terrible time with bullies, we’ve had to move away) but your post gives me hope.

❤️

That is so cute ❤️

That's so lovely to hear!

Shame you're nowhere near me (you won't be!): last weekend I did 9 loads of washing! Considering there's only 2 humans in the house I reckon that's rather impressive (2 humans and 101 pets)!

Ah that's so lovely. My dd is 7 and has asd and sensory processing disorder and has never been on a play date. She attends a special school and her classmates are spread out across the city so can't really invite any of them here. Luckily I have a friend with a child who always includes my one and invites her to parties and brings their child round to play with my dd. It's so isolating sometimes parenting a child with asd and things most people take for granted are a massive thing for us/our children. So glad your ds had a lovely time and here's to many more play dates for him

Thankyou so much every one :)

He got very confused today and tried to go home with them today! Lol

Aw this is such a lovely thread. I have a DS with SEAN, he's only 2 but the main think I worry about is him being lonely. Reading this has made me well up. You sound like a fab mum with a fab DS to boot. Glad he had a great time..hope this is the first playdate of many.

absolutely wonderful.made me tearful. my brother is on the autism spectrum and he has made some very good friends from being invited to one play date. I hope it goes well.

Aw. How lovely indeed.

This made me cry a little bit.

I wish your son a lifetime filled with play dates, washing machines and custard.

Fantastic news . Yes shout it loudly

I know how massive a thing this has been. Fantastic - and fantastic that your son's friend's mum has been so supportive and non-judgy about the weird and wonderful world of ASD!

It's nice to hear that there are some understanding people out there. My eldest has Asd and in 16 years has only ever been invited to 2 parties (and the last one was about 9 yrs ago), this is despite us always inviting people to her party every year when she had them.

Actually, we had to stop having them because most children didn't show up; the final straw was when she'd invited 10 children to cinema and meal and most replied saying they'd be going, which was rare in itself, but only 1 turned up on the day. She was so hurt that I couldn't bear to let her go through that again, so we don't have parties, etc, anymore.

It's made worse because her sibling is more popular, and often goes to parties, etc. She's already been to 3 in the last month, and I see how her sibling wishes she could go too.

My youngest also feels bad that her sibling gets left out, and I've explained it's not her fault and that it shouldn't stop her going, which is what she wanted to do.

I just wish that children, and their parents, weren't so cruel to children that are a bit different.

It's heartwarming to know not everyone is like that. Your dc's friend's mum sounds lovely and I'm really pleased for you both.

I am so happy for him. No idea why I am wiping away tears from my eye !!

Yay! I've got one with autism too and when they reach those milestones, albeit some time after most other kids, it's a massive victory. When DS suddenly started talking about his "best friend" I was delighted.

One of DD’s, yr3, best friend’s has ASD and is absolutely lovely.
She says they’re going to open a shop together when they’re grown up.
She’s going to do all the maths and he’s going to make all the customers happy because that’s what they’re best at.
😁

I’m so happy for your little boy and his lovely friend.
Pls come back and tell us how the play date at yours goes.

Love this so pleased for your ds

This is such a lovely thread. It's just great that your DS has such a good friend, who has a mum who has a mum who is so willing to encourage the friendship. I hope the play date goes really well, do keep us updated on here.