A Guide to A Successful Playdate

It’s always exciting when you find a new local mom that you just instantly connect with. Whether it’s through mutual friends or a random run-in at a market. Somehow the two of you just instantly click and before you know it, you’re already planning a double date unbeknownst to your partners.

Getting in touch with local mom’s is always great because you can plan playdates for your little ones. Today I’m going to share with you a guide to having a successful playdate.

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I think any playdate where a child gets to socialize with other children is a good playdate, but if I’m honest I think there are some playdates that just go left and it’s so hard to point out anything good about it.

Clicking with the parent

One of the most important things that can help a playdate go smoother is befriending the parent. If you’re able to easily click with them it’ll automatically show the children that the both of you are comfortable around each other and it sends a message to the children that they can be comfortable around the other child as well.

Schedule Wisely

Playdates are fun, but they should not be scheduled around either child’s nap or before snack time. A cranky child is not as fun to play with as compared to a child who isn’t sleepy or hungry. So, make sure your child has had a nap and isn’t playing on an empty belly.

You might enjoy reading: Cultivating a Stress-Free Morning Routine 

Play Before

It might be helpful to play a little before the actual play date. Your child might be less hyper and more focused and excited to play with another person. As the parent, feel free to join in with your child before their playmate comes over and chat about the anticipated event.

Chill Out

This one is for the parents, sometimes we can be helicopters when it comes to playdates. We tend to worry a lot about no one getting hurt, and everyone having fun. Rest assured, children know how to play, and they know how to seek help when necessary. Now I’m not saying leave them unattended, but I am saying we don’t have to be right under them and playing for them as if it was our playdate. I also think it is important not to be so pushy, promoting the children to play together or share. I’ll get more into why in a later post, but long story short, children know how to play.

Rehearse

I think it’s important to have a general playful rehearsal of what will and can happen during the playdate. This is an opportune time to talk about how long the playdate will last, what all you have planned, for instance, if the children will play at the house and then eventually leave to play at a park. This is also a great time to have your child practice using their words to get their needs met or point across. Here are some phrases that might be helpful to reiterate:

“Can I have that please?”

“My turn” or “Let’s take turns”

“You can play with that”

“Can you help me with..”

“No, thank you”

“I don’t like that”

“Please stop”

This list can literally go on and on, but I think you catch my drift. In a nutshell, this is my guide to a successful playdate. I’ll leave you with one last friendly reminder which is:

Friendly reminder: Don’t bring out brand new toys that your child hasn’t played with unless you have two of them.

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Hi I’m Emily

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