Playdates

Farelle wrote: How often do you take your kids on playdates? I feel like I've been missing the boat on the playdate thing...?? I think I do a lot with my boys, like museums, the library, fun places etc.......but it seems like all my friends are doing playdates, and I'm not?? I feel like a bad Mommy....?

mysweetpeasWil&Wes replied: We've been meeting with a playgroup once a week since Wil was about 7 months old. There are five moms and their kids. A couple of us have two. I really enjoy it! It's not only fun time for my kids, but also a break for me and a chance to talk with other adults. We do it eveyr Wed, so it also breaks up my week.

As far as individual playdates, I do a lot of them with just my close friends. Our kids aren't necessarily the same age, but close enough. We just trade off homes and typically just play it by ear as far as when and what time.

Look through your local family guides for listings on mom's groups. They typically have playgroups arranged by age, etc. This is how I found mine.

Calimama replied: Twice a week!

lovemy2 replied: I try to have Olivia do it once a week - either here or she goes to someone elses house -

boyohboyohboy replied: i have never done play dates until just now that caleb started kindergarden. now we are doing one to two a week....

CantWait replied: Well I haven't done it in a few months, at one point though we were going to playgroup once a week. I really need to get back to taking him also. I really think it's important for their social development. Doing things with them is great, but being with other kids their age, sociallizing and interacting is also great for their development.

moped replied: Don't do them here either........

not for any reason, but I work fullt ime - him and Tom do their thing. Jack and I do our thing on the weekends. I had a neighbor kid over a few times but that was about all - it was fine!

Again, I am not an overscheduler at all......

luvmykids replied:
That is a big reason we don't do them...maybe over the summer we will. But for right now, we have enough going on and even with what little committments we have, it seems like adding anything else would burn us all out.

Farelle replied: Ok....so I'm not so bad! I'm thinking of joining a Mom's group. There is one around here and it looks like they do a lot of fun stuff. We're going to need things to do when it eventually snows here.........ugh............and we're trapped in the house.

Kaitlin'smom replied: I have only done a few. She has kids at the sitters all the time and with school she has plenty of interaction with kids her age. I also work full time so we really dont have much 'time' for it with everythign else we having going on.

mom21kid2dogs replied: I never did anything organized with O in that regard. Just provided her with loads of opportunities that allowed her to interact with other kids. She's the most social kids on the planet so it wasn't hard with her.

Brias3 replied: My older two will have playdates once in awhile, sometimes for a few hours after school, but never on the weekends. We're so busy chasing around then! During the week I don't mind it, but to be honest its usually so hectic, I'd be surprised if they each do two a month. They get time with their friends in a non-school atmosphere in extra-curriculars and stuff, so its not all that bad. Summers they do them more frequently (especially since we have a pool and everyone decides to kind of do the "self-invite", Moms included )

Last year I tried to schedule something about once a week for Mason, but now that he goes mornings three days a week, that's hard too! Occasionally, we'll bring a friend of his who has older sibs home from school and or vice versa and then we'll bring them back when I pick up the older two.