Aibu for thinking this is a little weird?

[Daisychain67]

My daughter recently had a birthday and wanted her friend to come round to the house to play as we had been on holiday for her birthday and she didn’t have a proper party.

I had spoken with her friend’s mum and said I would do them both a little tea party and they can play for a few hours, she agreed she would drop her off at 2pm on the Sunday. When she arrived, she had my daughter’s friend and her younger sister with her. I welcomed them in but didn’t expect her and the younger sister to stay. It was a quite awkward as I’ve never actually spoken to the mum before as I rarely see her at the school.

They stayed for around 5 hours and the conversation felt very forced and a little hard to talk to her as she is polish and although she speaks quite good English she still didn’t understand what I was saying some of the time.

I felt awkward the whole time and was relieved when they had left. I was also looking forward to my daughter being distracted with her friend for a while so I could get some unpacking and washing done.

My daughters never had friends round before and I’m wondering if this is normal for parents to stay? Or would you leave your child and pick them up later?

Haha my good friend sometimes calls me to ask if she can borrow my DD because her DD (5yo) wouldn’t leave her alone and she needs things done. So I send my DD for couple of hours to hers. The girls get on so well they could play for hours together. It’s a real godsend a friend like that.

Not sure if it matters but I’m not British and would absolutely not leave my child in a strangers house for a play date. If I get to know one of the parents and feel comfortable that’s fine. You are weird OP you got to the age of 8 of your child and never had any friends over before.

Wow, what an awful experience!

Yeah… I’m still going to say 8 is too young to be leaving your child with someone (or people) you don’t know. There’s nothing over cautious or paranoid about that.

Definitely cultural. Southern italian parents would also stay. I've also had this with Romanian and Ukrainian parents. They see it as a chance to get to know you, and alao feel an expectation to stay. Most also wouldnt entrust you with their children until they've already been to your.house and consider you a friend. Now that's obviously a generalisation with many exceptions but I'd say a cultural difference exists.

Normally at age 8 you'd pick both children up from school, go home, have tea, play for a bit and either drop the child off or they get collected about 6pm.
Then next time the other parent does the same.

For a start you dont bring more kids than are invited whether you stay or not. This is absolutely my biggest pet hate

not on a Sunday.

Perhaps not.

My child hasn't. She's home schooled. To each their own.

My daughter (now 25) had a friend in primary school who regularly used to bring her little sister (4 yrs younger) along on play dates. Fast forward to where the little sister is 17 and starts going out with my middle son who is a few months older. They are 21 now and have been together for over 4 years!
I never had an issue with my kids having other kids over and we always had (and still do have) an open house policy in that respect. It’s great because you get to know who they are hanging out with, you get to know the parents as well and honestly it’s always worked really well for us.
imagine how weird it would have been now, if I’d been arsey about the little sister coming along with her big sister to play with my daughter back then!
The huge plus is that all my four kids’ friends talk to us parents about all sorts, even now they are young adults. They are generally a really nice bunch of young people and they feel welcome and comfortable at our house.

My daughter is 8, unless I know the parent there is no way I would leave her alone with someone who is in essence a stranger. Not a parenting insult against OP as she seems to keep inferring. A personal choice for my child’s safety.