Weekday playdates, the good and the bad?

Playdates are something that every child will enjoy but sometimes no matter how much you would like to have a weekday playdate it can be a nightmare. Depending on the kids age it may go from messy to atrocious.

Playdates is a new term that basically means a scheduled time of play for your child and their guest in your home. Most parents enjoy having kiddies over but for some, it can be incredibly stressful. Most children will hound parents for playdates every week and this isn’t always feasible. It can be hard to refuse a demanding youngster though. 

The advantages of having a weekday playdate is that it is a way to entertain the kids after school and it may give you some freedom to catch up on household chores. It also means the weekend can be left solely for family activities instead of filling that vital free time with having your kiddies’ pals over. Of course, there is no way you can fit in a playdate during the week if your child attends after-school care or if you work long or unsociable hours. That simply wouldn’t be possible unless you have the extra time off. You child may not understand that you need to work, and they may feel angry about you not offering the same to them as other parents offer their own kids, but they don’t realise that those parents may work less hours or are stay at home parents. 

The disadvantages of a weekday playdate are that it means a messy house afterwards and this may make you a little mad. It may not be ideal for those who want to get homework done as how much will your child pay attention to anyway with their pals around? Of course, weekday playdates are perfectly fine once it is the summer holidays - if you are off work. Don’t forget playdates are stressful and the days between Monday and Friday are predominantly filled with a huge amount of structure and schedules. A play date may only be for a few hours, but it can be hard to factor in the time to entertain the kids. Yes, they may do this themselves but as a parent you need to be on hand to offer fun and games should they require some. Playdates usually require some planning and meal considerations which again can add stress to an already mad week. Some children are easier to care for then others and while one child may happily sit and play, other kids may want to run around the house playing pranks on other family members. It can all get a little chaotic to say the least! 

Overall this is a personal choice and while some parents do have weekday playdates it doesn’t mean you must follow the rest. If it doesn’t work for you and causes stress or strain it is probably best to leave it until another day. Kids have plenty of time to play after all.