Play dates

[summerday1975]

Hope someone can enlighten me here.

I am not a British citizen by birth but have been living here a very long time so just wanted to understand if I am committing some cultural mistakes here that I am not aware of.

My daughter goes to a local and very small preschool. The parents are cordial and will chat at the preschool pick ups. Over the year I have been chatting a bit to various mums and dada and since the preschool follows the school term dates we now have a very long break.

My child is an only child so I have to be proactive and organize play dates. We have our friends we see regularly (all only children too in fact). But over the break my daughter asked to see her friends from the preschool. I texted 2 mums from the nursery about a play date and they haven't even responded. Nothing. They both live a few minutes walk from us so don't think meeting up is a problem.

Is this odd? Do people meet other parents from the nursery for play dates? Or is it me?!
Or should I not be asking other parents as it's not what people do here?! Help please

I think it's the current pandemic.
I wouldn't be too keen to meet up.

They should have replied as it’s rude not
To in my view.
But yes it’s probably because of covid! Maybe you could ask to meet at a local
Playground?

I didn’t do nursery play dates. I’m not sure why. It’s a total different atmosphere to school ones. I think I just didn’t bother as I knew dc wouldn’t be there long where as at school you help build long term friendships

It was rude of them to ignore you though.

It's rude not to respond!

Could they be on holiday? How long ago did you message?

Thank you for your replies.

It was a couple of weeks ago that I messaged them.

Fair enough if they aren't keen to meet due to the Covid situation but I would think replying saying that would be a polite thing to do.

Also, I wasn't expecting to organizing a play date at our house or theirs due to the Covid situation. We all live by a very large park and all the local kids play there.

Yes I think it would be polite to reply.

Maybe try one more time and make it obvious you mean outside at a playground or something.

My son has also never had any pre school play dates because I felt that my son was one of the youngest and all the other mums seemed To know each other from having older children at the same school.

I think a lot of people feel really uncomfortable saying no thanks in this climate with the pandemic. I've got friends who have invited us round and I feel awful and embarrassed saying no. Maybe they just don't know what to say?

I never bothered with them before my DC started school. Mainly because I would socialise with my friends who had children the same age. And also because i just didn’t know the other parents at nursery, literally never saw any at drop off and pick up to chat to and get friendly. I would feel awkward meeting up with people I didn’t actually know. Obviously it’s different if you are on friendly terms with them - do you chat to them when you drop off and pick up?

True, I haven't thought of people being uncomfortable of saying no to meeting up in the current environment.

The nursery is very small with only 10 children in my daughter's class. All parents chat at pick ups and are very involved with the nursery. But equally many have older children who have attended the nursery too and know each other for longer.