What’s up with this “Play Date” Phenomenon?

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What’s up with this “Play Date” Phenomenon?
Posted by obamamama1
on 10/17/11 at 12:30pm
Ok moms, please explain the Play date thing. I just don't get it. My kids have many friends at school, church, sports and dance teams, neighborhood and close family friends. What I don't understand it the whole play date thing. Is this something a group of fancy moms made up and now everyone has jumped on the band wagon? Is this an organized event or is this a necessary thing? Is this planned play time? When I was a child, I never heard my mom say anything about play dates. We just went outside and played, road our bikes, played in the yard with close friends. There was no play date. When my parents visited close friends, we just ended up playing together. If I call up a friend and say let's take the kids to the zoo, Is that a play date? Am I just out of the loop or do I need to jump on this play date band wagon? Can someone please explain it to me?

Replies (1-10 of 41)

Posted by yayay15
on 10/17/11 at 12:32pm

I don't know. I just used to go over and say "wanna play?". Okay cool. We never called it a play date. I notice a lot of moms now-a-days try to put on a show. It's odd to me.
Posted by Mom2Just1
on 10/17/11 at 12:35pm

We do playdates at the park, out to lunch. Most of my friends and I have only children and they are best friends. We get together and let them play. Moms and I talk.
Posted by steelcrazy
on 10/17/11 at 12:36pm

I'm not in the play date loop either. From what I gather, it is when you and another mother decide on a time to let your children play together and it is usually a few days or weeks in advance. My boys have never had one and I don't see the need for it. They call their friends and say "Hey, wanna go out and play?" or they make plans at school to meet after school and play.
Posted by FabDarling
on 10/17/11 at 12:39pm

it's basically going over to a buddy's house and 'playing'

i think things have changed since we were younger.....1. a vast majority of kids don not go OUT and play with the kids on the street after school.....so the 'playdate' comes into play - cause it's usually in someones house. 2. JMO - but with now a days many many more moms working full time....trade off playdate time becomes necessary and not just for fun. when we were kids every house on the block had kids, had them out playing after school (even in the winter) and everyones front door was wide open to hear what was going on out there......it's just not like that anymore.

i think i'm one of the few parents in my town that almost discourages too many playdates and encourages them to play outside on our block with the kids on our block...even though they are all different ages.
Posted by SweetPea2004
on 10/17/11 at 1:46pm

I organize playdates because there really not not many kids on this street and so I schedule a day for her to play with friends. Its a bonus if the mom and I are friends too.
Posted by MysticLove
on 10/17/11 at 1:56pm (1 like)

When I think "playdate" I am thinking of children 3-5 years. Moms getting together to talk about things (basically what we do here) and let the kids play and develop social skills they can put into use in school.
Posted by snows_kitten
on 10/17/11 at 2:35pm

My son is an only child and only 5 years old. He goes to a private school where his friends range from living 15-40 miles away and he's also with his father every other weekend. A "play date" is almost neccessary in our situation. When he gets a little older I'm sure he'll just call up his friends and ask.

When I was younger I had many friends in the summer who lived close by (they don't call Maine vacationland for nothing!) They would just walk next door or down the street to my house and we'd play on the beach all day. However, during the school year, being an only child I had friends over almost every weekend. I don't recall my parents calling it a "play date" but I guess that's essentially what it was.

I have also found my friends from populated areas are VERY strict (for good reason, I'm sure) about their younger children going outside and playing. It baffles them not to have their children supervised during playtime. I think the difference between living in the city or a rural town is so drastic that we don't realize it sometimes.
Posted by M4LG5
on 10/17/11 at 3:04pm

With more and more families having both parents work, scheduling time for them to be with other kids can be tricky. My husband and I work full time and the kids are in sports most days of the week so if they want to play with someone or hang out, we have to schedule it in sometimes.
for example, i have a friend that is moving out of state. We both work full time and my daughter is in soccer and so finding time for them to hang out and do something fun outside of school (i.e. movies, someone's house, swimming) is about coordinating our schedules. Not kidding....it took us a couple of weeks to find a day.
Posted by obamamama1
on 10/17/11 at 3:42pm (2 likes)

Am I understanding that play time has now become an coordinated event. Give me a break! Now I understand scheduling a day to go to the park with your kids, but if little Suzy or Billy lives too far away I guess they would have to wait to see them in school, but I doubt that I will be scheduling play time for my kids on the calendar. I mean it's cute but really??? Call me crazy but if my kids came to me and ask "Mom, who am I scheduled to play with today?" I would laugh hysterically. But if it works for some, go for it!
Posted by mamacalifornia
on 10/17/11 at 3:44pm (1 like)

I hate the whole "play date" thing! Why schedule time for your kids to play with other kids?? If we go over to a friends the kids will play with their kids, if my kids want a friend over then they just call & ask the friend, there is no well if the mom's or dad's have the time to visit then okay, it is just the kids playing1