https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Fri, 15 May 2026 10:26:08 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/are-play-dates-necessary#post-88850 Wed, 07 Mar 2012 23:16:07 +0000 SAHM0811 88850@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@lilteacherbee: lol... DD's teacher says "we are ALL friends with each other!" all the time to the kids! so far, it's been "so-and-so is my best friend!" issues... no love triangles yet, thank goodness!! but we have noticed that the boys are starting to play with just boys and girls preferably with just girls which is a huge change from last year in her 3's class. and yes, i didn't expect the "mean girls" thing to start so early! it's crazy. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/are-play-dates-necessary#post-88608 Wed, 07 Mar 2012 17:40:32 +0000 lilteacherbee 88608@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@NYCaliMama: haha I read your comment about "mean girls" and laughed out loud. Its so true! I teach preschool and there's always someone crying because someone else wouldn't play with them. We even have drama over a "love triangle"....2 girls "like" the same boy. I discourage them from saying best friend, girlfriend, boyfriend, etc. We're all just friends!</p> <p>I don't have a LO yet, but play dates seems like they could be exausting and awkward at times. I miss the days when kids could go play outside with the neighborhood kids and be back in time for dinner. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/are-play-dates-necessary#post-88597 Wed, 07 Mar 2012 17:16:53 +0000 tequiero21 88597@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>i think play dates will be for me too~! i may need some human interaction. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/are-play-dates-necessary#post-88236 Wed, 07 Mar 2012 09:32:50 +0000 Rubies 88236@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I love the playdates I have with my friend because her LO is just 2 weeks older than my LO. But they are for me. LOs are only 7 months old so they don't know what's happening! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/are-play-dates-necessary#post-88144 Wed, 07 Mar 2012 04:08:21 +0000 808love 88144@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I like playdates with my little one because she is able to have more brain stimulation with the interaction. We tend to do the same activities around here. Go to the store, play with toys, read books, cook, repeat. It breaks it up. Plus I get lots of mommy tips from friends with kids the same age. It helps us. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/are-play-dates-necessary#post-88121 Wed, 07 Mar 2012 00:27:40 +0000 SAHM0811 88121@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>IMO... with baby playdates, they are really more for the parents to socialize... </p> <p>With toddler playdates (18 mos +), the goal is to get them to play together so they tire each other out before dinner.. Haha... Oh yeah and learn how to share, nice manners, etc ;) What Andrea said is true though... It gets so awkward and sucky too when kids don't share! Not totally fun for parents at this stage :/</p> <p>Right now though, in my preschooler's class there's all these cliques... "Mean girls", anyone? Yes it starts when they are 3.5 - 4 yo (especially among girls). So anyway, 1:1 playdates are helping my DD overcome some of those social issues. They can also really help a shy kid come out of his/her shell! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/are-play-dates-necessary#post-87867 Tue, 06 Mar 2012 19:02:30 +0000 banana 87867@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We rarely have play dates. The only time my LO socializes is Sunday at church. Otherwise, we just take him out to public areas (like the mall, park, grocery story) and he socializes enough. lol. I don't know how necessary they really are. Whenever we meet up with friends who have kids his age, he seems to get along with them just fine. So I don't really make much effort to set up play dates. He'll get enough socialization once he goes to daycare in 6 months. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/are-play-dates-necessary#post-87849 Tue, 06 Mar 2012 18:53:26 +0000 heffalump 87849@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Right now I feel like play dates are more for me because LO can't play WITH other babies yet. She would just look at them and play by herself. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/are-play-dates-necessary#post-87844 Tue, 06 Mar 2012 18:50:41 +0000 Andrea 87844@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@chopsuey119: yeah but then they just fight over toys and it still sucks! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/are-play-dates-necessary#post-87837 Tue, 06 Mar 2012 18:42:16 +0000 chopsuey 87837@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Andrea: seriously though. I have great social skills and never went on a play date!!!!!! :) I'm gonna have to wait until LO stops sticking everything in her mouth before we have another one. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/are-play-dates-necessary#post-87836 Tue, 06 Mar 2012 18:40:34 +0000 Andrea 87836@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@chopsuey119: yeah the things we do for our kid's social skills. Bleh. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/are-play-dates-necessary#post-87832 Tue, 06 Mar 2012 18:36:03 +0000 chopsuey 87832@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Andrea: Yeah, my SIL suggested having play dates blah blah blah. I'm totally over them. :P </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/are-play-dates-necessary#post-87830 Tue, 06 Mar 2012 18:35:21 +0000 Andrea 87830@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@chopsuey119: haha. yeah, i can't say play dates are very fun for me either but i force myself to do them. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/are-play-dates-necessary#post-87827 Tue, 06 Mar 2012 18:34:07 +0000 chopsuey 87827@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Andrea: I think it's the fact that we had TWO today. This was our first time having a real play date.. so it was a little too much too fast.<br /> Also, the PM date.. omg. The little girl would chew on one of LO's toys, LO would take it from her and start chewing on it!<br /> GERMS!!! I was dying inside.<br /> I cleaned and disinfected everything when they left.<br /> Prayed that my friend's kid wasn't sick or diseased. :P </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/are-play-dates-necessary#post-87824 Tue, 06 Mar 2012 18:31:58 +0000 Andrea 87824@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@chopsuey119: haha. why was it so bad? i think play dates are more contrived than what we had growing up. we had more spontaneous play with the neighborhood kids. now it needs to be on everyone's calendar weeks in advance.... </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/are-play-dates-necessary#post-87822 Tue, 06 Mar 2012 18:29:43 +0000 chopsuey 87822@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I don't remember having play dates when I was little and I turned out fine.<br /> After today, I'm really over play dates.. LO is super social so eh.. I don't think it's necessary for her to play with other babies.</p> <p>What do you think? HAHA </p>