Play date meltdowns

[londonbanana]

Hello. My son is 5 and is quite a sociable child - sometimes shy but has no issues with making friends.

Yesterday we had a play date with another friend (friend from school but also family friend as we are friendly with the parents from before both children were born).

My son was happy that friend was coming over. Talked about it a few times in the days leading up to it.

When friend arrived my son immediately started to show signs of not coping - stormed off to his room crying because he didn't win the game of snap, similar scenes when his friend didn't want to paint with him etc... ended up asking me to get his friends mum to come and collect him.

I feel so down about this social interaction and wondered if others have had similar experiences at this age?

For context I have an older son too who is 9 and wasn't able to have play dates at this age due to Covid.

Oh my goodness OP, SO MANY playdates ended this way around that age. Always the hosting child that melts down. Try not to ever do any competitive activities and always give them exactly the same (same colour plate, same number of slice's of apple etc) for a quiet life!

We had a similar meltdown on a playdate at the same age- we were playing a game- they both wanted the pink fishing rod...

Thank-you both!