Play Dates
I'm still trying to work my head around this whole play date thing. (Warning: this may be a long post...) When I was a kid, we didn't have any such thing. You played with your friends at recess at school or maybe at soccer practice after school. There were the occasional sleepovers. Mostly my brothers and sisters and I played with each other. Or our cousins. Cousins are a wonderful thing although I don't have any nieces or nephews. Due to the large size of both our extended families, Greg and I actually have our own 1st cousins who are about our kids' ages. (Therefore "1st cousins once removed", I have a knack for that genealogy thing). But they all live in different states so this play relationship isn't available at the moment.
And hey, I have 5 kids. I always say I have a built-in play group. It's not like I need to bring in any other children to entertain my kids. I think this may be the only positive aspect of having 5 children in 5 years. But kids need to play with other unrelated kids, you say. Fine. They can play with other kids at school recesses and Brownies and Cub Scouts and hockey and soccer and, and, and...
I guess other parents don't feel this way. My kids are in high demand which really freaks me out. Emily and Ally were invited to Chuck E. Cheese on Saturday and last week two neighborhood girls invited the twins to join their "club." Zach has a couple of different play date options at least every other week. The kids have more dates than some people I knew in high school.
Okay I'll admit it. Dealing with the other parents is what freaks me out the most about play dates. There's trust and "I pray to God they aren't some unconvicted sexual predator" thing. But actually I can get beyond that. It's the whole small talk during the exchanges that kills me.
So for example, Zach's friend Rick's (not his real name) mom sent me an email last night asking if Zach could come over to play today (no school!). I sent one back saying "sure, call and let me know what time!" while trying to figure out where in the world she got my email address. Rick has been over here to play and I've talked to his mom on more than one occasion (okay so like 4 times). She called (I was in the shower, of course!) and we awkwardly set up a time:
Me- I'll drop him off after we run a few errands.
Her- Oh, you can drop him off before if it would help.
Me- (I don't want her to think I'm trying to use her as free babysitting!) Um, we're getting Zach shoes so... *white lie*
Her- I suppose you'll need him then.
Me- Uh, yep.
Her- After is fine, we'll be home all day.
Me- Okay thanks, see you then.
I also should point out that I've never been to this lady's house before. I know it's down the street but I don't know which house. And you'll notice I completely forgot to ask her house number because I am a dork and I don't know how to talk to adults any more. I swear everyone needs to be like Dora the Explorer and repeat everything to me 3 times in a sing song voice.
So we ran our errands and I thoughtfully picked up some chocolate chip cookies since she brought cupcakes to our house before. We drove down the street and I asked Zach, "which house?" And of course he doesn't remember. Fine. We drove back down the street to our house and I ran in to look up their name in the phone book. Back down the street again.
And guess what? They are vegan vegetarians. She took one look at the cookies and was like "nope, can't have them!" Um, okay. So with my face 3 shades of red and holding the rejected cookies, we went through the list: no allergies, which games are acceptable, what time to pick up, can he have snack (I felt like saying "only if you serve meat, we aren't vegan vegetarian!"), and so forth. Zach ran off to play with Rick and I walked back to the van with the cookies. Much to the delight of Emily, Ally, Kyle, and Kelly. And me. Just a little bit.
What exactly is the protocol on reciprocating play dates? I don't want to take "Chuck E. Cheese friend" to Chuck E. Cheese. I never want to go to that place ever. I'm a little nervous about having Rick over for anything more than playing in the backyard because I'm the fruit snack and store bought cookie mom. Am I allowed to chat on the internet or sew with other kids in my house? And why do I want more kids in my house anyway? 5 are enough really for me, that's why we didn't have 6. Even Kelly has an invite for a play date, one of the Brownies has a younger sister her age.
It's all too much, I'm going to hide in my hermit hole again.
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