My son had a friend round today

[Cupofteaonesugar]

For tea for the first time and omg. It was very overwhelming 🙈
I'm a girly girl and have memories of going round to my friends, playing barbules and dressing up.. and it all just being very calm and very nice.
Well my son had a great time, so did his friend but I am extremely exhausted and I'm not sure I want to do it again 😅

Never get any nerf guns then. Your house becomes a battleground. Gin required.

I have 2 girls.. I don't recognise calm, genteel play dates like you describe you had. Don't assume that it's because you have a son.

Especially the younger one, it's noisy and full of energy.

No assumption I was just talking about my own experience!

Hahaha omg absolutely not!
I'm going to take them to soft play next time 😅

My experience: boy play dates= v physical, jumping on eachother, girl play dates= always tears!

Secret to a lively child (boy or girl) play date is be outside as much as possible if no suitable garden for running around in or den building go to park and take a football / other activity / dog walking and fully tire them both out. Then back for food and only then suggest they play with age appropriate toys or games for a short while and make sure they go home before WWIII breaks out.

Point of playdates is that you're freed from entertaining. Let them get on with it. The only ask of you is providing food and keeping them safe.

100% what @OnlyFoolsnMothers said

I don't do anything when my kids' friends come over because they're in & out like nobody's business! There are things like apples or cheeses in the fridge and they can get a drink of squash if they want but I wouldn't go to the hassle of actually feeding them. I don't get involved in entertaining them and if they start to bicker and argue or if they get too giddy then I tell them to go out and play, as do their friends' parents.

I don't think these are "playdates" though; they're just friends calling at each others' houses at will and playing together.

When his cousin comes round then it's different and they play happily all day. But this was the first time he'd ever had a friend round from school etc so I didn't want to just leave them to it and was supervising without overshadowing them!
It was nothing like a cousin play date, it was absolutely wild 🙈

My son's best friend broke something every time he came over. From a glass fruit bowl to the slide on my sons bunkbed. He also wet the bed when he stayed over (he told me he would do was prepared).
My thought was for his mum - she had three others!