If you are on the cautious side of avoiding exposure

[jgenie]

If you are on the cautious side of avoiding exposure and are letting your kids have playdates, how are you handling arrival and departure? During the summer I made sure we were outside before friends were due to arrive and just told them to come to the pool. It’s now warm enough that kids can comfortably play outside so I’ve scheduled a play date for tomorrow but I feel funny about the arrival. New families we haven’t played with before. I’m thinking we’ll be outside when they’re due to arrive but it’s not as natural as sitting by the pool to chat. The invitation included information that we would be outside and masked. Im only expecting two kids. Thanks!

[SnuggleBuggles]

Outside but I wouldn't really be bothered by them cutting through the house to the yard. I would allow them inside to use the bathroom so it doesn't seem that different. We would just keep an eye out for their car then go out to greet them outside so it's easy for the kids to take off from there and continue to the back yard at our house.

[georgiegirl]

My kids still wear masks when playing outside with other kids. We don’t do indoor play dates. I have let DS1 go to a friend’s house twice masked to play video games with his BFF (they are masked and distanced.).

[California]

Here’s how we handle it: When our kids have a friend over, the friend (and often the parent too for drop off and pick up) go through a side gate into our backyard. It’s a visible side gate, we tell them in advance to come in through it, and we leave it open when we know someone is coming over.

DC and I set the scene, so to speak, so that the parent can see at drop off that we have a plan for a safe GTG. Usually an outdoor snack table (NOT fancy), one blanket per kid (or teen for my older DC) spread on the ground (to give them their “zones” 6 feet apart if they want to take their masks off for water/snack), and have a starter activity ready to go. It takes us ten minutes max to set up. Usually the parents stay for a few minutes, chat, see that the kids look safe, and head out. They come through the side gate again for pick up.

[hbridge]

Wow, I am just impressed that you are all allowing any type of playdate! We nixed all playdates when we realized DC was the only one wearing a mask.

[Philly Mom]

Wow, I am just impressed that you are all allowing any type of playdate! We nixed all playdates when we realized DC was the only one wearing a mask.

How frustrating other kids aren’t wearing masks. We don’t do a lot but all the neighborhood kids know that if you want to play with my kids, put on a mask. I have told the few people we have had over that they are coming over for a masked, outside, play date. I do allow indoor bathroom use. I told my kids that after spring break, when the kids are in school full time again, they can do masked indoor play dates. I am fully vaccinated and their dad should be too. Our numbers are dropping quickly so I figure that in a month, so long as everyone is masked, I will relax a bit about inside.

[georgiegirl]

Wow, I am just impressed that you are all allowing any type of playdate! We nixed all playdates when we realized DC was the only one wearing a mask.

We only have a limited number of kids allowed. And everyone knows masks are required to play in our yard. My kids are staunch mask wearers, so they will tell other kids to put on masks.


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[jgenie]

Wow, I am just impressed that you are all allowing any type of playdate! We nixed all playdates when we realized DC was the only one wearing a mask.

We successfully did play dates over the summer. We limited numbers and made sure people kept their distance and remained masked at all times. Snacks served on beach towels set 6 ft apart. Kids know I will harp on them if they remove masks. I’m a bit uneasy with new kids who haven’t been here to play yet but plan to be outside while they play so I can make sure everyone remains masked. We have been in school full time since August so the kids are used to wearing masks all day.

[California]

We’re in SoCal where it’s been warm enough all winter to be outdoors. If there was snow outside we wouldn’t be hosting :-)!

The parents of most our kids’ friends have been taking restrictions seriously. If we didn’t have the mask rules and a safe set up, they wouldn’t let their kids come over.

I’ve gotten much closer to the parents of my DD2’s best friends over the past year. Once we figured out we all were in agreement on masks, etc, it made us feel very grateful for each other. That is one nice thing that has come out of this pandemic!

[MSWR0319]

I'm jealous of the fact that people are making their kids play outside masked. No one here wears masks outside and they think it's ridiculous if you won't let your kids play inside. DS2's friends and their parents, can't seem to understand why in the world we aren't letting the kids play indoors. DS1 has two friends I allow him to hang out with outdoors unmasked as they are all responsible and know to keep distanced. Are they 100% at it? No, but it's about the best I'm going to get and they are together at soccer so I figure they're all ready to exposed to each other there. DS2 will wear his mask everywhere and lectures his soccer team for not wearing theirs :rotflmao: He's 9 and has no care in the world what people think about him, which is great. He comes home every practice wondering why in the world the rest of the team is being so unresponsible.

[jgenie]

I'm jealous of the fact that people are making their kids play outside masked. No one here wears masks outside and they think it's ridiculous if you won't let your kids play inside. DS2's friends and their parents, can't seem to understand why in the world we aren't letting the kids play indoors. DS1 has two friends I allow him to hang out with outdoors unmasked as they are all responsible and know to keep distanced. Are they 100% at it? No, but it's about the best I'm going to get and they are together at soccer so I figure they're all ready to exposed to each other there. DS2 will wear his mask everywhere and lectures his soccer team for not wearing theirs :rotflmao: He's 9 and has no care in the world what people think about him, which is great. He comes home every practice wondering why in the world the rest of the team is being so unresponsible.

We have some of those too. We just aren’t seeing them now. :wink2:

[carolinamama]

Yeah, we unfortunately haven't had much in the way of playdates for the last year since we seem to be the lone outdoor only, mask-wearing family. Kids around here are going house to house without masks. Many of them are back in school, my kids included, and activities. I love that you all have set ups allowing safe playdates.

[ang79]

We have not had friends over since last summer (and were outside that whole time except for bathroom breaks). DD1 got together with two friends over Christmas break to just walk around their neighborhood. They didn't wear masks but were spaced out and I know both families were taking restrictions seriously (kids were in cyber school, most of the parents worked from home, no family gatherings over the holidays, etc.) Now that the weather is starting to get nicer I'd like to start meeting up with friends at parks to walk around. Luckily my two girls get along so well together but my 14 year old is really starting to miss friends.