Do You Know The Other Childcare Mums/Dads And/Or Arrange Playdates?

[fionas]

We're reasonably new to the area and DD1 has been going to childcare two days a week for the last six months.

My mission for 2011 which I've chosen to accept, is to make friends with the locals not just for my sake but so that DD1 has other children to play with.

She seems to have two little friends at childcare who I'm thinking of inviting here for a playdate.

Has anyone else done this?

I'll join a playgroup too and obviously it's easier to get to know people there because the other mums are there too.

I also thought of organising a weekend barbie at our place and just invite all the kids and parents to see who we click with.

Whaddya reckon?

[Emma09]

I think it sounds like a GREAT idea!

[Snacks]

I think it sounds good too. DD often talks about a girl from CC and asks if she can play at our house. I don't know how to get in contact with her parents though! They drop her off earlier and pick her up later than we do Nat. How will you find the kids' parents? (Am interested to know for our future reference, LOL!)
I think the playgroup idea sits better with me though in terms of getting to know parents. At least at PG you can have a chat to someone and if they are offensive you can just walk away, LOL! If they are at your house and are horrible people you can't really kick them out

[fionas]

... I was thinking of putting a little note in their pigeonhole. Every child has a little pigeonhole thing for all the admin stuff from the centre (ie. invoices

I've done a very brief "hello" with one of the mums when DD1 very first started and she was there at the Xmas Concert but it took me a while to put two and two together otherwise I would have gone over and chatted. Anyhow my freakdar is pretty finely tuned and she seemed pretty nice.

[AnyDream]

Definitely do it as young as you can...we moved interstate at the start of primary school and I found there were already a lot of established playdate networks from the preschool/kinder years by then, which they weren't very interested in expanding . Or maybe my whole family has BO ..??

[fionas]

Good point Marydean.

MG - we're in Woodend which is out near Mount Macedon/Hanging Rock. And I never properly thanked you for your very kind offer of help when I was torturing myself about how I would manage in the hospital post-caesar. It all turned out fantastically but your offer was very much appreciated

[Mother Goose]

Yeah I do. There's 4 of us mums who catch up regularly without the kids. Where abouts are you?

[peanutter]

I think it's a great idea.

I'd probably do up some simple invites for the kids, and include "plus parents " and I'd probably do it as a BBQ, because it's easy for people to bring meat and drink, and for you as host to just provide some bread and salad and juice.

let us know how it goes?