How often do your kids have playdates?

[luckytwenty]

My daughter (in kindergarten) has friends whose mothers call pretty much daily wanting to get our kids together. This seems excessive to me, but I did not grow up in a development/cul de sac (and that's where we are now). I work full-time and while I am very happy that she has so many friends, I don't want to "share" her both Saturday and Sunday of every weekend! (She also has playdates during the week after school with either the kid's mom or our babysitter supervising.) Just wondering if she happens to have very social friends or if this is normal these days!

[Jo..]

Twice per week in the summer with his bff.

During the school year, they are in class and karate together, so it is more like once or twice per month.

I am glad that he has only one super-close friend. I am not sure that I could handle more.

[brittone2]

3, 4, or 5 times a week with various neighbors. We live in a very small subdivision (less than 20 homes on two cul de sac streets). The playdates are pretty impromptu. It was about the same in our last neighborhood as well.

I try to make sure my kids get a chance to play a lot w/ the neighborhood kids as we homeschool, and it is nice not having to always "schedule" a playdate formally. We have other friends we get together with, but it takes more work and we have to set up an official time/date.

[niccig]

During the school year, they are in class and karate together, so it is more like once or twice per month.


This is us too. They have school or after care or an activity together. I don't have spare afternoons for playdates. Every now and then, DS's BF's mom will take DS one day rather than him going to after care. I try to limit weekends as it's our only family time together. We usually have a birthday party every other week, so they get to see each other then as well.

We used to do a lot more before DS started school, and then I went back to school.

[Green_Tea]

According to my kids: not nearly enough.

In the summer it's a playdate free for all. During the school year, I'd say that each kid has a playdate at least every week - last week DD2 had a friend over on Wednesday and a different friend on Sunday, and DD1 was at a friend's house on Tuesday and had a sleepover on Friday night. DS didn't have any playdates, but he's got one on the calendar for this week. None of these are kids in our nieghborhood.

I don't remember having nearly as many playdates as a kid. They were a special treat, not the norm. I have tried explaining this to my kids, yet every.single.day they ask for a playdate after school. It makes me a little :dizzy:.

[hellokitty]

During the summer, we do at least one playdate a wk, if not more. I belong to a moms club, so it's easy to come by playdates or set one up. During the school yr, with just DS3, it's at least once a wk, although my stroller workout group (I got 2x a wk) IS like a playdate, b/c the kids play together during cool down and stretching and often after our workout at the park or mall play area.

[happymomma]

We generally have 1 playdate a week during the school year. Last year we had more but this year our schedule is a little more hectic. Kids don't get home till about 4pm so if we had a playdate it would last till dinner time. It is usually scheduled.

[luckytwenty]

One per week would be fine with me. I also live in a small community where kids run in and out of each others' houses impromptu and it's kind of a pain for me! I would be much happier if the dates were somewhat scheduled.

[khalloc]

Never. I work full-time. DD is in Kindergarten and she sees her good friend at school each day and they go to daycare together after school Mon-Thurs. Soccer together on Saturday.

DS is 3.5 and in fulltime daycare. I think he sees friends enough at daycare during the week.

[mommylamb]

At the moment, the only kids we have play dates with are kids whose parents are friends of ours, and in that case the whole family comes over. I'm so not ready for the random kids from school yet...

[HonoluluMom]

DD turned 2 in August and we haven't done any play dates yet (when do they start?). I have asked DD if she wants me to invite a neighbor's daughter over to play and she adamantly says "No!"

[ezcc]

pretty rarely actually. There aren't any kids in our immediate neighborhood and I find that they are tired and want to unwind at the end of the day, wednesdays they both have scouts so they see friends at that, and they go to a school with loads of unstructured playtime so I feel like they get enough. Our weekends are busy- sometimes we get together as a family with friends, and often there is a birthday party or something and my kids play a lot with each other. They are 6 and 8. We used to have playdates more often when they were in preschool and had more free time.

[KrisM]

Depends what you consider a playdate. If it involves me driving my kid somewhere, maybe 1-2 times a month.

But, we have lots of neighbor kids and they play together pretty much daily after school and on the weekends. Today, the boy next door came home with DS1 and DD went over there to play with the girl. yesterday, they were all over here for a couple hours. But, those are unplanned - just someone going over and seeing if someone wants to play.

[ChefGirl]

Rarely here too. DH and I work full time so it's hard to arrange playdates for our kids during the week. DS#1 just had a swim thing with two of his soccer team friends two weekends ago. It's really hard to find the time to arrange playdates with full time working parents!

[hellokitty]

Oh and OP, it is hard if you are a WOHM. The boys across the street from us are great kids and friends with my boys. I'd like them to play together more often, BUT they are in after school car since both parents work and on wknds, our families and theirs are both busy. I think it is just generally harder to schedule in playdates during the school yr these days. Kids are in a lot of activities, and my kids eat dinner and probably go to bed earlier than many of their classmates. In the summer, we have playdates more easily, but with my two older ones being school aged, it's tricky and we have NOT done any drop off playdates so far for a variety of reasons. I would have no problem though with other parents dropping off their kids at our house for a playdate, but I understand how rough it can be for WOH parents.

[Pennylane]

Too often! Although like a pp said , it is with neighborhood kids and not something I plan. Usually after school, friends will knock on the door and want to play.

I didn't mind at first, but now it is just getting ridiculous! Last Saturday morning, 2 of the neighbors knocked on the door at 8:15, we had just gotten up!

Ann

[elephantmeg]

once or twice a month. We live in a rural area and no near neighbors and DS is just starting school. We get together with a friend from church who has a DS the same age as ours once or twice a month-usually on a weekend. But it is almost always at our house (they have a new baby) so I guess I do it less often since its always us.

[pinkmomagain]

Rarely for my little one. I personally hate them. I like structured activities out of the home/or downtime-family time better! And honestly, I spend much of the afternoons running around with my older two. But I do try to have them on occasion.

[HIU8]

With neighborhood kids it's pretty much daily on my street. With kids from school it could be once every couple of months.