How long will play date stay?

[emily05]

Ds has his first play date today (he is 4).

A little girl and her mum are coming over after school.

Just wondered - when you have playdates how long do they stay for??

Usually stay until after tea - tea at say 5pm then they leave at 5.30/6pm.

Mum and you have cup of tea and cake while they have tea

At least, that's how we used to do it when they were little.

get picked up at 6pm.

I'd say that was a bit long for a 4 year old. Out of school at 3.15ish? Home by 3.30ish? I'd say friend and mum to leave about 4.45, 5 at the latest and in that time just have a little snack at about 4 ish.

At this age, they will get tired and even bored by 6pm, after a long school day and you'll be doing it just because you feel you ought, not because your little ones are actually having fun together.

Is mum definitely staying? Depends how well you know parent and child but by age 4 I'd pick up playmate from school and bring them back for tea and play. At that age picked up by 6pm at very latest.

Just make it clear to the other mother what time you want them to go (or collect the child). Most kids are in bed at around 7ish so 6opm is the latest realistically.

i ahve made it a bit later when the older sibling needs to be collected from school at 5.45pm, but otherwise it is 6pm.

My DD is just 4 and she is too knackered after school to have a play date. So I have invited school friend and her mum round on a sunday pm - as think they will get more out of it.

Until you tell 'em to feck off home.

Never done a school play date with a parent present, so don't know if it makes a difference.

When DD, also 4, has a friend round I collect the girls from school together and bring them home. They play. I do dinner at about 5pm, and then parents collect between 6 and 6:30pm.

Oh, and for future reference when you little one is a few years older and friends come around more often (without mothers in tow), always arrange to drop the friend back home rather than mum come to pick up.

This is because you can guarantee that the little angel you've had staying will morph into the devil who doesn't want to leave your place as soon as mother steps over your threshold and it's a darned sight harder to get everyone to leave then!

You're right, emmatomato, I've seen that happen so many times.

My son is 6 and him and his friend play after to school sometimes. Me and the friends nan have an agreement to pick the childup at 4.30pm and very rarely do thay have dinnr together. They do have sweets and a drink when round the other persons house. Ocaasionally they have a bag of crisps(Iknow not healthy). But all they do is play football in the garden or are the playstation.

I hope it has helped, but I think it is down to you an what you are willing to do.