Spontaneous play dates!

[TelephoneTree]

I would love to just say yes to 'can so and so come after school today'.

BUT

visiting kids don't seem to like my cooking! They do if I do roast chicken and chips or sausage and mash or spag bol or something.

BUT

we also eat other stuff that other kids just don't seem to like. salmon & lentils, bean curry, chorizo risotto, lamb kofte etc etc

So how do you do it without planning? DH is often home for work early enough that we can all eat together at 5:30pm, so any visiting child would just join in on whatever we are having. How would you manage it??

"Yes if you think they would eat X for tea?"

IME/IMO last minute playdates are just that - a friend round to play for a couple of hours before tea and then home to have the dinner their own family will have planned. After all, even if you are having salmon and lentils, and the other child does like it, you've probably bought/defrosted enough for your family and the other mum will have done the same.

Being invited for tea is done a few days in advance here, there's no assumption that coming round to play includes a meal.

Thank you everyone and Durab - you bring up a good point - i generally do only have enough for our family.

is it ok then to say yes but no tea tonight but we could do tea another night or is that anal??

Yeah I think that's fine, I wouldn't think it odd. I prefer a playdate without tea really.

Yes, no problem to say yes, we've got plans for dinner, but you're welcome to come to play until xxx time

Thank you that's v helpful!!