Kids Playdate - doubts!

[Gigi]

at kindy age, i stayed at the playdate venue with my child. Maybe this is not possible for you (other siblings)? but that's the way i handled it, i didn't feel ready to leave her in a strange house by herself. But only having one child, i suppose i had that luxury to be able to make that choice.

Now my child is school age, i am coming against the expectation for me to just drop off my child, with people i barely know, so i'm finding that very challenging.

i agree that gut instincts are a good one to listen to. The one time i ignored those, my child had a very negative experience at one child's home.

[Ca Plane Pour Moi]

Even now Liebs is at school, I love it when the mum wants to come, even with other children, and stay for coffee. I think it's odd when that doesn't happen - unless I offer to babysit. Playdate isn't babysitting. Playdate is having a coffee with a new person while the children don't talk at us for hours and hours about the latest obsession.

However, you are a professional judger of people by the view from the front door? How do you get that job? I am jobhunting and that sounds like a great career path to take.

[LimeSlice]

Even now Liebs is at school, I love it when the mum wants to come, even with other children, and stay for coffee. I think it's odd when that doesn't happen - unless I offer to babysit. Playdate isn't babysitting. Playdate is having a coffee with a new person while the children don't talk at us for hours and hours about the latest obsession.

However, you are a professional judger of people by the view from the front door? How do you get that job? I am jobhunting and that sounds like a great career path to take.

I imagine LB means she is a social worker or something similar...

I'm not sure how old your LO is, but my very almost 5 yo goes to playdates, and I will stay there with them. So basically a playdate for DD1 is a playdate for DD2. Once she gets into school, I would consider leaving her alone on playdates, but only if I actually knew the mother and the child. Perhaps preempt the next one and reciprocate the offer, invite her to stay for coffee and get to know her, beyond the cover.