playdates - when and how often?

[xvnmbh]

How often do your kids see their school friends outside school? Dc is in year one and aside from doing a couple of clubs with their friend we usually see their school friends once every two to three weeks outside school. Not sure whether thats the norm in primary. Sometimes I feel like we just dont do enough and everyone around us sees people all the time. DC goes to after school clubs as we both work and isnt invited to his friends all that much so not sure whether it's me not making enough of an effort or how life is nowadays.

My child is in year 1 and he's never seen his school friends outside of school unless it's a birthday party. I thought that was the norm as I'm not sure where we'd fit playdates in and he's never invited anywhere else.

I think it sounds fine, everyone’s different. My DC have playdates once a week or so, either at ours or a friend’s place. I am a SAHM though- I’m sure it would be less frequent if I were working full time!

Maybe try to do some more playdates over weekends and holidays?

I would love to do more playdates in the holidays but him and his friends usually go to holiday clubs or we're away.

We're the same, a couple of playdates a month. She does attend after school club 4 afternoons a week so I also count that as "friend time". I know families who do a lot more, a couple a week but for various reasons I couldn't and wouldn't want to accommodate that - things like family time, down time, trips out and also I find hosting a bit of a chore.

Apart from Rainbows with one classmate we don't. Never something we've really thought of to be fair.

DDs have clubs (Rainbows/Brownies, swimming, hockey, karate) with friends 4 nights a week. We often have a friend who also attends come home with us after school for tea & a play before club. And 1 night a week have a specific playdate night (on my non working day).

They don't seem to be done much unless it's mums that already know each other. We sometimes arrange to go to the park at the same time.

We also go to the park after clubs but I often feel guilty that we are not doing enough.

I started off thinking they should have lots of playdates , and invited friends round, they always had a good time but it very rarely reciprocated. So I gave up. Now it's just parties which are much fewer now, and one DC has started playing out with friends. Age 8 and 11

I think that this is pretty normal at year 1. Lots of families have committments and/or have to use wraparound childcare so playdates can be more challenging. if your child becomes good friends with a particlar child or group, you might find additional playdates happening but often that is more about recipricol childcare - "I'll take both kids on Tuesday, if you can have them next Thursday!"

I think families with a part time working parenting or sahp might manage a bit more, but it's often tricky as some Year 1s can't go to a playdate alone. eg DD went home with her friend after school last week - fine. But in year 1, she would probably not have been comfortable doing that with anyone except her BFFs family.

When mine were in reception and year 1 we didn't do many play dates. Now my youngest is year 2 and eldest year 5 and the year 2 has 2-3 a week and the eldest is either at someone's house or the park 2-3 a week.

They're all good friends who live very locally though and we just send them home when it's a mealtime (they live down a shared lane)

Perhaps we are not so unusual after all. I find it hard to ask around - don't want to look like he is billy no mates or that we are antisocial.