Latest news with #playdate
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Parents Share the ‘Wildest' Red Flags That Made Them Ban Playdates
Your kid was invited on a playdate but you're incompatible with the other child's family — what should you say? 'It's awkward,' Sheryl Ziegler, a clinical psychologist, tells One mom asked on TikTok, 'What's the wildest reason you decided not to let your kids have another playdate with another child? I want the juiciest and most jaw-dropping reasoning.' Parents justified the playdates they banned. 'She didn't tell me that during the sleepover, a random uncle would be sleeping on the couch in their small apartment.' 'She asked if they could give my daughter a present, it was right around her birthday. I said yes and she came home with 'The Book of Mormon.'' 'My son was wearing a shirt with a T-Rex on it. She said, 'We don't believe the dinosaurs are real.' OK, moving on!' 'My daughter was in kindergarten. The other girl's mom let them walk to 7-Eleven by themselves to get a soda. Busy street, soda, alone — NOT ANYMORE.' 'They allowed their son to go to school but not their two daughters.' 'Their house was unbelievably dirty. I can't even believe she let people over.' 'The other kid encouraged mine to not listen to me.' 'Within 10 minutes of being there, their child told my child they were going to hell because I wasn't modest. I wore a tank top. Like, a regular tank top. I was showing my shoulders.' 'They invited us over to their house, then casually mentioned they'd had the stomach flu three days prior.' 'Mom confessed to me there were guns in the house (including, an AR-15), not locked up, 'But the kids can't get them.'' 'My kid came home covered in flea bites all over her back.' 'The mom followed my son around with Pledge and a paper towel and wiped every surface he touched. Props to you for keeping a clean home, but that's not the playdate for me.' 'My son went to a friend's when he was 8 and the mom dropped them off alone at Walmart to do the grocery shopping while she got her nails done.' 'Their kid broke our toys every single time they came over, it never failed. Such weird behavior.' 'Honestly, there are people I will just never playdate with because I know we parent way differently or the parents make it a weird contest.' If you've had a bad experience with another family or you've pre-determined that you're uncomfortable with their care of your child, trust yourself. 'Kids change and grow ... but parents don't really change,' says Ziegler, the author of 'The Crucial Years: The Essential Guide to Mental Health and Modern Puberty in Middle Childhood (Ages 6-12).' Bickering on a playdate could be resolved as kids mature, but an unsafe home environment likely won't. 'And if the other family feels judged for their habits, they might lie about it,' says Ziegler. Transparency works, says Ziegler. 'Say to the other parent, 'You know, we are going to take a break right now from playdates,'' Ziegler tells 'You can explain: 'The last time the kids were together, they seemed a little bored' or 'They argued' or 'It seems like they bond around screen time and we'd like less of that.' Otherwise, get blunt. 'Just say, 'I'll let you know when I feel ready for another playdate,' says Ziegler. If you're indecisive about the playdate, meet in a public park, invite other peers to neutralize the dynamic or keep play time short. Or, host the playdate or offer to bring coffee to the other home, so parents can socialize while supervising. Ziegler points to playdate red flags: Anything that breaks your family's boundaries, presents safety issues or makes kids feel discomfort. 'Remember that playdates are optional,' says Ziegler. "What's more important is that your child has meaningful friendships.' This article was originally published on Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
13-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Mom Is ‘Annoyed' with Another Parent for Bringing 2 Kids to Playdates When She Invited Only 1 to Bond with Her Child
A concerned Mumsnet user said she's fed up with a fellow parent bringing an uninvited sibling to a playdate 'It's starting to annoy me as another mom is bringing the older sibling and not letting me know beforehand,' she said Mumsnet users had mixed opinions about this scenarioPlanning a playdate is not child's play for some parents. A concerned mother of one vented on the community forum Mumsnet about how another parent keeps bringing both of her children to playdates, even though just the younger one is invited every time. 'My child is almost 4 and has made a new friend so we have arranged a few playdates,' she wrote. 'It's starting to annoy me as another mom is bringing the older sibling and not letting me know beforehand.' Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. 'The whole point of playdates to me is for the kids to bond one on one,' she added. 'Not to mention her child is very shy so the sibling dominates.' The mom also highlighted that none of the other parents do this. Wondering if she's overreacting, the mom asked the forum, 'Am I being unreasonable to say the sibling shouldn't always tag along?' is now available in the Apple App Store! Download it now for the most binge-worthy celeb content, exclusive video clips, astrology updates and more! In a poll under her July 7 post, 68% of the nearly 700 voters selected the 'You are being unreasonable' voting option. 'This sounds like a first child attitude and should you ever have a second you might facepalm in remembrance,' one Mumsnet user replied. ' If you want just the two of them together ask the mom to just drop and go.' Another validated the mom's concerns, writing, 'They shouldn't be turning up with them without warning though. She should ask.' Read the original article on People
Yahoo
01-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
In Defense of Not Being The 'Fun Mom'
Inviting 'fun' moms to the playdate? That's not Kayla Masse. 'I'm definitely not relaxed,' Masse, a pregnant mother of three in Rhode Island, tells On TikTok, Masse introduced herself as the 'Not Fun Mom,' in the video text: 'Mom friends will get it and those who don't are simply not my people right now.' 'I'll be the first to admit that I am not the 'Fun Mom' at summer outings,' Masse said in her TikTok video. 'I'm not the one. You want to go to the ocean? That's great. I'm going to be counting heads the whole time. I'm counting kids the whole time.' Masse continued in the video: 'You want to get a big group of people together and do a pool party? That's great. I'm going to be with my kids. I'm parenting. If I have your kids? They're going to have less fun, too. Sorry.' Kids in Masse's care will play waist-level in bodies of water, she said. 'When there is a big group of people around, everyone assumes that somebody has eyes on the kids," Masse said in the video. 'When that assumption is made, nobody has eyes on the kids, because everybody is assuming that somebody else is doing it.' Masse won't be gabbing with other parents, either. 'I will be watching my kids,' Masse said in the video. 'I am not hanging out at the tent with you, having a good conversation. I am down by the water, counting kids, making sure everybody is having good safe fun. So, if you thought I was going to go ahead and relax, far from it. There's no relaxing to be done.' Masse's kids don't think she's 'fun,' but she has plenty of it. 'Will I still go and have a good time?' Masse said in the video. 'Yeah, I will, but I'll be parenting. And that's just how it is right now.' The 'Not Fun Mom' found her people on TikTok: 'Let me reframe this for you — you're the Safe Mom.' 'I was a lifeguard for almost a decade. I will never be the 'Fun Parent' and I also will forever judge other parents' water safety.' 'Are we the same person? I literally won't let ANYONE watch my kid. Nobody watches like Mama watches.' 'I've been called a 'Helicopter Mom' but honestly, my anxiety won't let me be anything less.' 'I'm a drag! But everyone is going home safe.' 'Parents should agree to rotate the responsibility so at least they can each have a turn taking a break.' 'Same. Also, I'm not drinking. What if there's an emergency?! Someone has to be sober.' Masse, whose sons are ages 3, 5, and 7, tells she is on 'high alert,' at the park, the beach, the pool and in public restrooms. 'If one kid has to go, we're all going,' says Masse. "It's going to be a field trip.' Masse has a playdate rule, too: Her kids can only visit a family's home if she has been there first. 'If I see anything that makes me uncomfortable, they are probably not going,' she adds. 'I'm a stay-at-home mom, so wherever I go, it's me against my three kids,' says Masse. 'I'm outnumbered.' Masse says she is 'strict,' especially when watching other people's children. 'If I hover, it's fine, because you're getting your kid back,' she says. If kids are roughhousing, Masse tells them: 'I am not going to the hospital today. You need to stop.' Masse says she respects parents who co-supervise — and who don't blink if their children hear her safety speech. 'Some parents get offended if someone else steps in, but it's necessary sometimes,' says Masse. 'I appreciate it too, because sometimes my kids don't listen to me.' This article was originally published on
Yahoo
21-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Mom Is Accused of Never Putting ‘Limits' on Her Daughter's 'Fun' in a Fight With Her Husband Over a Playdate
A woman said that her husband 'was not happy' when she allowed their 5-year-old daughter to have an unplanned playdate with a friend She added that he claimed it would throw off their afternoon and argued that their daughter already had 'more than enough fun' that day The woman detailed her story on a popular community site, and opinions were mixed over which parent was in the rightA woman says she and her husband had differing opinions on the best way to handle a situation with their 5-year-old daughter — and she's asking others for an outside perspective. The woman detailed her experience in the 'Am I Being Unreasonable?' forum on the U.K.-based community site a place where parents can seek advice about interpersonal dilemmas. In her post, the woman said that her husband is generally slow to get ready when leaving the house, and that she is 'always' waiting for him. The woman explained that their daughter recently had a birthday party to attend. She continued, 'My [daughter's] friend's mom asked if I could watch her [daughter] for a couple of hours after the party. It was a morning party, so she'd be ready to be picked up at 2:30 from my house.' The original poster said that while she and her husband had plans to drop by his parents' house that day, the timing was flexible so she didn't think a playdate after the birthday party would be an issue. She added that she figured she could watch the children while her husband took the extra time he needed to get ready for the next part of their day. Because of this, she agreed to the playdate. The PEOPLE Puzzler crossword is here! How quickly can you solve it? Play now! 'My [daughter] was so excited,' the woman recalled, adding that her daughter is 'constantly asking for playdates with her friends and we don't do it that often. However, the mom said that her husband 'was not happy about this,' claiming that the playdate would 'hold them up' for the rest of their day. He also told her that she never puts 'limits' on their daughter's fun and that 'going to a party was more than enough fun for her in one day.' The woman said that by the time they got back from the party, the other child was only with them for 'an hour or so," at which point they went about their day as planned. 'Who's unreasonable?' the woman asked her fellow community members at the end of her post. Many commenters said that they think the woman's husband was being unreasonable in this situation. 'He wants you to put limits on your daughter's fun…..? Wha…? YANBU [you are not being unreasonable],' one person said. Another person added, 'He's the unreasonable one. I wouldn't have even considered this as being a 'play date.' It's doing a favor for another parent, and you never know when you might need a favour in return.' 'He sounds quite irritating,' yet another commenter replied. Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. One person, however, admitted that they would have been irritated as well if a spouse changed the day's plan without consulting them first. 'I don't like the 'limits on fun' part, but it seems you did unilaterally make plans on what's actually a shared family day, without consulting or discussing with him. So I think overall, YABU [you are bring unreasonable],' they said. Read the original article on People
Yahoo
15-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Mother Found Out Other Parents Let Her 9-Year-Old Go to the Park Unsupervised. Now She's Wondering If She Should Be Angry
A mother is 'upset' that her 9-year-old daughter was allowed to go to a local park unsupervised The incident occurred while her daughter was at another child's house for a playdate The mom said she had previously been told the other child's dad would be going to the park with the childrenA mother is 'upset' after her nine-year-old daughter was allowed to go to the park unsupervised — but wonders if she's overreacting. In a Mumsnet post, titled '9-year-olds out on their own,' the mother explained that her daughter recently went to a friend's house for a playdate. She said that she was told ahead of time that the kids would be going to a local park and that the other child's dad would be supervising. However, when her daughter returned home from the playdate, the mom was told her child and friend had gone to the local park with several other kids from their class, without any parents accompanying them. The OP (original poster) said that while the park 'isn't far from the friend's house, 'my [daughter] hasn't had any experience [...] going out like that before.' 'I know she will have to at some point — but surely that should be my decision to make?' she said. The PEOPLE Puzzler crossword is here! How quickly can you solve it? Play now! 'I'm not sure if I'm more upset that they were allowed to go alone or the fact I was told the dad would be taking them and then [they] went alone,' the mom added. Several commenters assured the woman that her feelings on the situation are completely valid and that she should have been alerted to the change in plans ahead of time. "Yes — [it should have been] your decision. I would be angry that another parent made that call for you, especially after being told an adult would take them,' one person said. Others said that while they agree that the OP should have been told, they also think she should perhaps start giving her daughter some more independence. 'I wouldn't be happy I was told the dad was taking them, then didn't go, BUT I do think nine is old enough to go to the park with a few friends and no adults,' one person said. Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. The same person went on to share some practical advice for moving forward, saying, 'Definitely talk to [your daughter] about what to do in various situations. Would she have been able to find her way back to her friend's house alone if she'd been left behind? Does she have a phone? What would she/they have done if someone had gotten hurt? If older kids were intimidating them? Etc. etc.' Other commenters, however, said they considered the OP's situation a 'non-issue' and also said they think that modern parenting standards are robbing kids of important developmental skills. 'This is a non-issue OP,' one person said. 'This was utterly normal in my (British) childhood and pretty much every childhood throughout history. It is still normal in many European countries, and other countries in the world. We went much further afield without adults as children.' Read the original article on People
