For many of us parents, playdates feel like a necessary evil, mainly because they are wildly unpredictable. Just because your kid gets along with another kid at school doesn’t mean that will translate once they’re on their own turf. There could be fighting over toys, undisclosed dietary preferences, or illnesses. And what about other parents? Sending your child to someone else’s house is always stressful. But can you really quit? Some parents on TikTok got real about their playdate red flags.
One mom got curious.
One TikTok user posed the question about playdate red flags. “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,” she wrote. And parents did not disappoint.
“She talked about how advanced her child was the entire play date,” one mom replied. “Our kids were under a year old! They’re just potatoes.”
@joelle_ish2 #momsoftiktokclub #kidsoftiktok #playdates #toddlersoftiktok ♬ original sound – SpongeBob background music
The responses ranged from shocking to just plain icky.
“She didn’t tell me that during the sleepover a random uncle would be sleeping on the couch in their small apartment,” one person wrote.
“She asked if they could give my daughter a present it was around her birthday 🤷🏻♀️ I said yes she came home with The Book of Mormon …”
“Honestly she thought the earth was flat and taught her kid that,” someone else wrote.
“Them beggggging to have my kid over and insisting I take me time and leave him there alone. Bye.”
“Little girl neighbor spent the night. Serving breakfast I noticed a head full of lice. Huge bugs. When I told her mom she said, ‘Your house must be really dirty for her to get so many just spending the night.’”
A psychologist has suggestions for parents to handle playdate red flags.
Clinical psychologist Sheryl Ziegler spoke with Today.com, offering parents ways to get out of what could be an “awkward” situation.
“Kids change and grow … but parents don’t really change,” Ziegler said. “And if the other family feels judged for their habits, they might lie about it.”
Transparency is your friend in these situations, she said. “Say to the other parent, ‘You know, we are going to take a break right now’,” she suggested. You can take it a step further and give specific reasons why you’re putting the brakes on. But if that doesn’t work, don’t be afraid to be blunt.”
She suggested: “Just say, ‘I’ll let you know when I feel ready for another playdate.’”
Ziegler also pointed out that playdates are “optional” for kids and their families. “What’s more important is that your child has meaningful friendships.”
