Playdates

[dontcallmeduck]

I’m just wondering how often you have children round for tea or to play? I have to DC ages 7 & 5. They don’t often ask for friends to come round as they are best friends. For my eldest we had his best friend round maybe once a term, another friend a handful of times earlier in the year and another we have invited but his parents don’t like him going as they are having some trouble with his behaviour. We would also meet up with some of his friends during the school holidays. He only really gets invited to 2 children’s houses, his best friend and the one who’s parents have declined invitations to ours.
My youngest has not been invited to any of his friend, we had one of his friends over for a play but he has a much bigger group of friends rather than a couple of really close ones and I don’t know the parents well.
Both me and my husband work full time so we don’t often do the school run and don’t often get the chance to invite people round. I guess I’m trying to figure out if I should be making more effort as I know some of my eldests friends have very regular play dates with a lot of different friends.

He only really gets invited to 2 children’s houses

That's normal. Many parents find playdates really hard and do their best to avoid them.

I HATED them but as I was a SAHM it was hard for me to justify not having them.

You sound like you're doing your bit...once or twice a term is plenty.

When children get to 10 or 11, they choose their own friends more and they arrange their own playdates (to a point!) there's much less angst about it.

Then in high school it all stops and they sort themselves out. Carry on as you are. Don't worry about your 5 year old not being invited yet...very young still. Maybe you can ask him next term if there's a friend he'd like to ask over...it is good for their social development but don't fret about it.