Reception: play-date etiquette - how often to invite?

[Olympias]

Hello everybody!
My 5-year-old DS is very social and would like nothing better then have some kid from his class or even from other (older) classes to come over to play every day. I am not nearly as social as him, so I only managed to organize one play date for him so far, last Wednesday.
We haven't gotten the reciprocal invitation from the boy's mom yet, even thought the boy himself told to my son that he can come over
to their house.
My question is this: how often can we invite the same child over (it doesn't seem that this particular boy has regularly scheduled after-school activities)? Do we have to wait for them to invite us before we ask the boy to come again?
It would be fine with me if we were never invited, as long as I can invite someone to come over and play with my son!
Also, what about older kids my son wants to have play dates with? As far I can tell, they might not be interested.
Should I still try to invite them?

Thanks a lot for any advice!

Can you not just do what you like? I would invite who you like, when you like.

IME other people sometimes have reasons not to do reciprocal invites, eg work shifts, house embarrassingly messy, kitchen fitters, etc. So just invite him back if you want, they can only say no?

Some parents love play dates and some really don't. Some parents are really busy, either working or just stuff to do, t manage to fit them in. Where a child has siblings, parents may be less likely to get around to organising them too - probably less need.

DD is an only child and play dates were really important for her in many ways. So we organised them much more frequently than others. She had friends back at leats once a week, if not more. I never waited for reciprocal play dates. Although she did have playdates elsewhere too.

We have only had school play dates with children in DD's class. But if your child is actually friends with an older child and plays regularly with them, and they both seem keen - then why not?

Hi,
We always had playdates, if I like the girl I wouldn't wait to invite her back, as long as my DD1 liked her too. If not I would take that as an excuse for not having that girl back (we had this) but usually I don't wait for my DD1 to be invited before we invite the girl back. As long as we are not doing anything that day, I don't mind having friends for tea, now usually is two friends as I have two DDs in school. Sometimes it has been more. I really don't mind having friends arounds as long as they can play nicely with eachother.

I would do what you feel comfortable with.

Last Wednesday is very recent; the other mum could well be thinking "Olympiasds seemed very nice - must have him over some time in return", but she will be thinking in a few weeks time perhaps. I have 4dcs; some parents like to have tandem dates in diaries with reciprocity set up immediately, others reciprocate but later, others can't easily reciprocate, others are friendly but very random. Invite some other children over, then try the first boy again. mum may leap up and invite your ds, or she may not. Get them together if they like each other. really it doesn't matter.

We don't do reciprocal invites. Dh works from home and the afternoons/evenings usually sees a stream of clients pass through our doors.

Often I find somewhere to go with the children so that we are not in the way.

I wouldn;t necessarily wait for a reciprocal invite then

IME, you will never get a reciprical invite (okay, there's about a 10% of it happening, but not worth waiting for, anyway).

I would just let your son decide who to invite next. Once a week would be fine. Any age or even half-way suitable seeming child will do. Plenty of parents will blow you off, or only agree to meet up in the park in 3 weeks time at best. So then move on to your son's next suggestion.

( DC3 is half way thru Yr1 and I have only managed to host 2 playdates for him ever -- but that's what happens with child No.3+, you totally burn out on the idea of arranging their social lives. )