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Who doesn't love company? Don’t you feel relaxed and charged up after a shopping session with your friend? Or isn't your husband fond of watching the game with his pals? We all love to spend some time with our friends and kids are no exception. Keeping the fact in mind that they are mostly surrounded with giants, they would obviously crave same age company! There is nothing better than a play-date to create opportunity for your little kid to socialize and entertain himself. But as a parent you are bestowed with the responsibility to make these dates a success, which can be scary. What you need is a guide that will help you sail through it and guess what, we have come up with just what you want. Check it out here and apply it!
Less Is More
If you are hosting a play-date, you must know that the least risky option for you is to invite just one kid over. The more the number of kids, the more are the chances of fights and disagreements in them. You can well imagine your plight while dealing with a bunch of angry kids. Older kids can manage more friends but be prepared to be more involved in such scenarios.
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Drop Off When Ready
It depends on the age of your kid or his comfort level that whether you can drop him off and leave or will have to hang around. In case your kid is known to the family, he will want you to drop him and leave but kids who take a while longer to mix up with new people would appreciate if you hang around for a while. For the comfort of your kid and so that the date goes well, leave only when your child is ready
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A Good Guest
If your child is going to be someone’s guest, put in some efforts in making things easier for the host. You can offer to bring snacks along, especially if your kid is a picky eater or is otherwise allergic to some foods. Also insist the host that you want to help in cleaning up after the date. Cleaning is a big task and your friend will appreciate your gesture. Saying “Thank you for having us here” must be taught to your kid. Another thing you as a parent need to keep in mind is dropping and picking your kid on time, it is basic courtesy that you should follow.
A Great Host
When you are hosting a play-date make sure that your kid does not upset the guest by snatching toys from him. So ask him to put away toys that he is not comfortable in sharing well in advance to prevent fighting. Talk to the other mom about things like how much she allows her kid to watch TV and play on computer so that you don’t go against her parenting during the date. Also it is good to know about any food allergies her kid has to provide snacks that are good for him.
Games
Kids can get restless in play-dates and specially if their parents are not around. To prevent such a situation, plan games that will keep them busy and interested so that they don’t feel cranky. Dancing is a great way to divert their attention and to make it more fun, add a ‘freeze’ element to the dance when the music stops. Treasure hunt is another thing that will help the kids to work as a team and keep from fighting. You can even use origami as a time out in case the kids get fidgety, they will welcome this change!
Healthy Snacking
Serve snacks to the kids that they will enjoy but are not unhealthy for them as some mothers are particular about their kid’s nutrition. You can serve sandwiches packed with veggies and cheese, grilled chicken or cottage cheese, fruit juices and yogurt topped with nuts and dried fruit. Kids will love these treats and their mothers will also be stress free, oh you are a super mom now!
Happy Bye Bye
It can be a task to end a play-date that the kids are so thoroughly enjoying, without acting as a villain. So if you are hosting, give the kids a warning bell at 10 minutes to go and then at 5 minutes. This will ease the transition or you can involve cleaning up as the ending. Challenge them to put maximum toys back and win a candy bar! If you are picking your kid up from the play-date, cheer him up to pack up and be ready to go at the count of 50. Ask him to thank the host and invite his friend to his house for next time.
Plan a play-date for your kid, now that you are armed with these tips, it is going to be super fun. Your kids will love you even more for being a part of their fun time! Just keep a track of how many times you are being invited to someone’s house because it is good to be fair, call them at your house as well for some fun!
