Playdates with 5 Year Old

Maybe what you can do next time your daughter asks for a playdate is have a talk with her about it. You said friends as in plural right? Maybe next time just invite one friend over and see how that goes? Ask her if her friend come over, will she be ready to play with her or maybe make a list of activities with her that they can play and tell her when her friend arrives that she can add to the list too. Ask her WHAT she wants to do with her friend before she comes over.

I'm sure you will get great advice about this but that's just one thought =-)

I had someone give me good advice for playdates. Start with playdough :)

As soon as the friend comes, get them started with a craft or playdough at the table. You can be nearby to monitor things, and they can each do their own project but still be near each other. I would think that with girls any kind of craft would work... for my boys playdough and cars (they like to drive them through the playdough - even if they are not making anything out of it) works.

It's like an ice breaker. Then after sometime warming up, maybe they'll be ready to play something together without you... maybe a game?

Does your daughter like to play house or school? You could get them started doing that then step away and let them take over.

Good luck!
Jessica

maybe she doesn't like the friends you have over. my son is the same way w/kids he sort of likes, but the ones he REALLY likes (that i'm just discovering) he takes off running in the other room with!

I don't think i would give up on the playdates maybe try taking them to a park or swimming pools or maybe even a mcdonalds that has a play place inside sometimes there are other children and maybe that might help her to interact with other kids

I would suggest keeping the time short. try a hour. at most. What does your daughter do at preschool/kindgarten? She should be at a stage where she does play with other kids. Will she seriously sit and play with her own toys for an hour with out you around? Mine is always bugging me so when a friend comes and will play she is sooo happy.