Is just suggesting a play date enough ?

[mumsatschool]

My DD 4 started at a nursery preschool in September ( part of a larger school ). She'll go to school there too.

There have been a lot of birthday parties and the parents are friendly.

We chat at pick up etc.

Parents mention their child mentions my child and vice versa. It's clear who my DD mainly plays with etc.

I've now also seen the mums and their DD's a number of times and had some text exchanges with them.

I have casually suggested play dates and they all said ' yeah definitely '. But nothing came from it. Should I now suggest dates ? Or is the fact that I was the first to say it, kind of enough and now they should make the next move if they actually want a play date ?

I've mentioned it casually on different occasions to around 4 of them and nothing ever came back - suggesting a date or anything.

I'm not sure if I should now just back off and not speak of it again ( that's what I've done and that's my nature ) or if I should mention it again.

I can be a bit black and white about these things though. If I make a move, I kind of want a move back- otherwise I don't bother suggesting the same thing again. I'm obviously friendly, but I wouldn't bring up a play date again unless they did.. what would you do ?

Next question that probably warrants a new thread --- at what age do people just drop kids off for play dates, generally speaking ? Rather than kind of stay around too ?

Depends on the child but generally sometime between 4 and 5 but only for a couple of hours.

My friends "just" 3 year olds are all having playdates without Mum there but we are all a close knit group and have known each other years (pre kids) or they are from childminders/nursery room whose parents they've known for 2 years.

I would say 5/6 depending on how well you know the family/ child.

4, if it's old enough for school without parents, it's old enough for a playdate.

This will vary massively.

I'd say from four if you know them very well, from five if you know them less well. But there will inevitably be people who won't be comfortable leaving their child until 18.

I'd generally offer both in a playdate invite so they can do what suits them. Or if you have a particular preference express that in the phrasing of the invite.