Playdates

[mrsknottschicken]

Now that school has started again, how are you managing things like playdates?

My DD (7) has just started at a new school. I’ve noticed a couple of playdates happening already. One or two of the mums are real networkers!

Personally, I feel a bit weird about it. There are parents that I don’t know yet, and I wouldn’t feel comfortable with DD going to their house as I don’t know how careful they’re being about covid. Then there are parents that I do know (of her friends) who are really relaxed about the whole thing and not social distancing at all any more. Also, some of these children have siblings so that’s another circle of households you’re potentially in “contact” with by default.

I think there’s only one child out of DD’s friends that I’d feel comfortable coming here or DD going there, because I know that family is careful.

It’s all hypothetical as she hasn’t been invited anywhere yet but the speed with which playdates have resumed as sort of surprised me a bit! I’m not sure I feel ready, though we did meet up with one friend outdoors a few times over the summer.

I don’t want to restrict DD’s social life in any way but I just feel a bit weird about playdates at the moment.

Am I being overly cautious? Please be gentle. What is your approach to this sort of thing?

They're together all day at school, what's the issue with a play date? It's a bit of normality in an otherwise random time

Yes, I know what you mean. I was perhaps not clear in my first post. It’s not mixing with the children that concerns me, it’s the rest of the family, because I know some people locally that just aren’t bothering to follow guidelines anymore. There’s one mum who, quite a few weeks ago, said she “couldn’t be bothered” with social distancing anymore. And I don’t know if I’d feel happy letting my daughter go around to someone’s house if they didn’t care about trying to keep safe, and trying to keep the community safe.

Either that, or there are new people I don’t know. I would love my DD to forge new friendships but I don’t know how safe other people are being in terms of following guidelines etc.

(People posting pics of themselves on social media socialising in big groups, hugging friends and so on. Do I want DD to go to a playdate at that person’s house? Etc)

I have said I’ll do play date on Friday. The plan is to pick my son and his friend up from school, walk to the park and then walk home and drop the friend off. I don’t feel comfortable having other children in the house at the moment. My son has a shower when he gets in from school everyday so I clearly can’t do that if I bring another child home from school.

I've no idea who has so many friends they keep hugging. I don't. Also not been invited on any play dates! Obviously my kid is a dork then.

I’m not sure what I’d do if my son was invited over to a friends house. Will have to decide if and when that happens

My dd has already had one play date. I think it's all very low and will remain that way for a long time. I dont stay on play dates beyound a cup of tea and a catch up chat. But they all over each other at school and all over their siblings at home. If it makes nervous just dont do itim sure you wint be the only ones.

I'd offer to meet in the park after school rather than having play dates at the moment.

England doesn’t have the same rules as Scotland and children are expected to distance so play dates would be a no for me currently if ours were younger. We are not hosting anyone indoors other than a strict select few we know have been complying fully with the rules as community transmission is high hence new rule of six.

@IceCreamAndCandyfloss

England doesn’t have the same rules as Scotland and children are expected to distance so play dates would be a no for me currently if ours were younger. We are not hosting anyone indoors other than a strict select few we know have been complying fully with the rules as community transmission is high hence new rule of six.

Yes, we are in England. However I agree with you on the point of not hosting anyone indoors unless we know they've been complying fully with the rules. I think that's probably 2 of DD's friends' families. Interestingly, one of the children has a parent that works in the NHS and the other has a parent working in another public health role.

Thank you for the replies - interesting to see other people's points of view. I'd definitely be okay with park playdates, though. It wasn't so much about the kids mixing as they're doing that anyway - more about how careful the parents are, or are not, being.

My children have been having play dates and sleepovers since they went back to school in June. One child per play date or sleepover.

I've been doing playdates as normal since June. Other parents are my friends. I don't plan to distance from them. Haven't done and don't plan on it. We don't have to. It's 6 people or less after all...

@OpheliasCrayon

I've been doing playdates as normal since June. Other parents are my friends. I don't plan to distance from them. Haven't done and don't plan on it. We don't have to. It's 6 people or less after all...

SD remains in place even under the rule of six.

Sure am. Stoking kids' mental health is vital and it'll be a long winter.