Would this be mean?

[BluePenguin]

DS wants to bring a boy home for tea this week. The only day the boy is free is Thursday and even then he has an afterschool club so doesn't leave school until 4pm.

This would mean picking my kids up at 3pm, then going back for this boy at 4pm, then coming home again before taking him back home to his house after tea.

I think it's going to be too much of a faff but don't want to be mean or seem mean, especially as his dad is my karate instructor...don't want to cause any bad feeling.

Would it be ok to suggest a meet up in the summer holidays where we could maybe take him out for the day with us to somewhere like the seaside instead? Or should I just stick to the thursday plan?

does the boy go to afterschool club because his parents work? If so, perhaps he could come home with you at 3 instead.

Failing that, a meet up in the summer is the way to go imo.

I don't think its mean at all - if it doesn't fit with your plans, than it doesn't fit
suggesting a meet up in the hols would be much better.

That doesn't sound mean to me. It's just not convenient for you to muck about that much for a play date. You've suggested a reasonable alternative so I'd say go for that, and maybe if things change (activities, after school etc) in September you can think about having him straight from school again.

although that going to someone's house after school thing is great for cementing friendships, if he's only free on thursday i reckon poor lad is over-scheduled already, so maybe a weekend or the hols would be best

Perhaps the lad can miss the after school club for one day.

Yeah, maybe just ask his parents if he can come home at the same time as you are picking up your kids. can't imagine whey they would mind. Otherwise wait for hols. Shouldn't be up to you to rush backwards and forwards for someone else's kids.

It's not mean at all! Or could you say that you could do Thursdays if the boy was dropped off and/or picked up? Personally I would expect a playdate to be picked up, I certainly wouldn't see it as my job to take them home!

He is a lovely lad so I don't mind having him at all but its just a faff after school, it is when he brings anyone back as I'm a single parent and DS2 has adhd so gets all hyper/excited and naughty when someone else is here and on a few occasions things have been broken because all hell has broken loose.

I know this boy is very well behaved so its not him I'm worried about, its just the faffing around going backwards and fowards. My DS is also out of the house 3 nights a week so Thursday is one of the only nights we get to come home and relax.

I don't think his parents want him to miss the school club. I'm just going to suggest the summer holidays thing I think, I'm sure they'd have more fun out for the day than sat in DS's room on the xbox for a couple of hours