More Than Childs Play

Oh the 90's, what a time to be alive 😆.

Growing up, the term "playdate" was not something I had heard of - fast forward 30 years and millennial moms are confronted with the term by our children, their teachers and other moms.

Essentially, playdates are when our preschoolers select or are selected to meet up with a certain friend after school to play. My memories of play as a preschooler include coming home from nursery school and playing with the neighbour's kids - unarranged. Other than that, I suppose the closest thing I had to a play date was a standing arrangement on Tuesdays and Fridays where my bestie and I would meet one day at my house and the other at her Ma's (grandmother's)  house to play - could that have been the birth of the playdate without the naming convention?

The internet describes playdates as an arranged agreement for children to meet and play - ah huh that's  what those Tuesday's and Friday's were, sans the actual term!

Let's dissect the playdate-

1. In my experience, the playdate usually comes about through one or both children requesting it - it often sounds like this "Mommy, can I have a playdate with Phillip?" or "Mommy Caleb says we must have a playdate" or if the previous playdate was super fun "Mommy when can I have another playdate with Gina?". Alternatively, the request will come from the mom or carer.

2. Kids are busy these days, their schedules are packed with extra murals making finding a suitable date for the playdate tricky, schedules of the children and their caretaker need to align and at times it can be fleeting. 

3. Where to hold the playdate is also something to consider - should the kids meet at the play area at school after their extra murals? Do you host it at your home? or do you go to a neutral spot that will be enjoyable for the kids? It's a personal decision but I find choosing a neutral spot works best for me especially if it is my first time meeting the parents or carer.  It also helps to ask the other parent if they have any suggestions of child friendly restaurants or parks to meet, this automatically cancels out your residence 😉. These are few places we've been too for playdates and the kids thoroughly enjoyed themselves:

- Blockhouse Kitchen at Uitsig Constantia

- The Bike Park at Uitsig Constantia

- Freedom Adventure Park in Tokai

- Playstation by Rush in Tokai

- Rush in Claremont

- Scratch Patch in Simons Town

4. The dreaded conversation to have with the parents or carer while the children play...often, especially when it comes to younger children, the parents do not know each other and so are left to sit sometimes awkwardly with each other while the children play. As an introvert, this is the toughest part of the playdate😖. My tip, keep the conversation light, discuss the children and what they enjoy doing - this gives insight into the other child's interests and you can assess how it aligns with your child's interests. Ask about the parent's interests, it allows you to get better acquainted with them too. After all it is worth knowing the type of people your child is spending time with. 

5. Enjoy the experience, soon our littles will be independent and detest the thought of us accompanying them anywhere. 

Playdates ultimately encourage the building of social skills and friendships and is a great way to establish lifetime relationships - my childhood bestie and I are still in touch, so momma, let them play!

"Play is the work of the child" - Maria Montessori 

Be kind, always, 

Cammy Girl💖