DD (Y2) is hardly ever invited on any play dates. This was understandable in YR as that coincided with the 2nd Covid year, lockdowns, school closures etc. However, since things have got back to normal, she's still not invited. We've had a few kids round, usually on a Saturday afternoon or during the holidays, but the invitations haven't been reciprocated. She does get invited to birthday parties every so often, just not to friends' houses. She doesn't seem to have one particularly close friend at the moment - she was very friendly with another girl in Y1, who we invited over in the summer, but she hasn't been invited back. Before that she was very close to another child, whose mum I'm friendly with, but play dates have not been forthcoming on that side either.
I have an older DC and when they were this age, playdates were often and plentiful.
I know that you shouldn't expect invitations to be reciprocated, and that people have different reasons for not doing playdates, but it seems to be a constant here, and I don't really feel like inviting any more children round until she's had a few invites herself.
While DD doesn't really know what she's missing, she does sometimes ask me if she can go to XX's house....to which I have to reply, no, sorry, you can't invite yourself over, you have to wait for an invitation...(which looks like it will never come!) I have to add here that some of the mums are not the friendliest.
AIBU to feel sad for DD that she's missing out on socialising with her friends outside of school? I try not to let it bother me, but it does. The only friends she sees are two that we've kept in touch with from nursery, but who go to different schools.