to hate play dates

[Greatfun]

The mess, the screaming, the arguments, me smiling sweetly at the visiting child whilst wishing they would just vanish, the fear they will see just how gross my bathroom is so try and get them to use the downstairs loo, the endless dull converstaions with the mothers.

I just hate the whole darn thing.

DD is 3 and I always seem to be the one entertaining, feeding and cleaning. No longer. I am NEVER doing it again.

Thank you very much I feel better for just getting that off my chest

i mean conversations.

Am tired so will go to bed.

oh, you don't need to do them at 3yrs old.
With ds1 the parents always came when he was at nursery and bring the froends round to play.
Now he is 5 then we do get kids and no parents- but they are usually fine.

ds2 has never had a playdate- my froends come over and bring their littlies...

I hate them too

nooo, make the playdates with your friends who have kids roughly the same age

playdates at 3 - never!

they are playdates where the mothers come too rather than just the child. Don't most people do this with a child of 3? If not, then that is where I am going wrong. Alas, I am somewhat lacking friends with DCs. I have people I have met since having DD but most are acquantancies. Makes conversation a little repetitive since all we have in common is the children. The one who came here yesterday and hence started my MN rant was someone I met via DDs nursery. She took it upon herself to comment on how 'tiny' my garden was - thanks for that then. It's about 50ft long so not tiny . She turned up at 4 instead of 3, asked if her child could eat dinner here, trashed my house without so much as lifting a toy before she went and I had to virtually push her out the door at almost 7 as that's when my children are bathed and in bed. However, her child goes to bed at 8 so that's all ok!

Sigh. I am ranting again. Today is another day. Off to make breakfast.

Go out....always...arrange to meet somewhere, park, garden centre ...walking with tots on bikes/trikes - anywhere and then have coffee afterwards.

WE do get the odd home offer, but I always turn it - by suggesting somewhere for them to run around and play.

Avoid homebased playdates like the plague.

I hosted one last week where the mother kept spraying her hands with anti-bacterial stuff before touching anything. I'd spent days cleaning the house in anticipation of her coming and it was (I thought) pretty spotless.

She won't be invited back.

I'll second that.

Greatfun - agreed.

It is just other SAHM looking for free child care most of the time. As the term draws to a close the usual mad scramble to get some dates 'booked' in for the holiday have already started at our school.

Don't even get me started on the whole playdate things.

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE don't get ABetaDad started on this again!!!!!

We do 'playdates' (I don't mind the playdates but I deteste with a passion the word playdate). LO is almost 4, but have been doing it for a year or more.

It's easier with some Mums than others and I prefer it with most if we pick said child up from nursery and they come by later on to pick the child up from our house, I don't mind having the kids for a few hours but I don't always enjoy the parents company.... if I know the parent is 'hard work' I arrange to go to a soft play type place where I can be very busy watching the LO (almost 2)