Dear Other Moms Who Want PlayDates

Playdate requests are fortunately something we get often.  We don't take them lightly and we don't take them for granted.  We appreciate any and everyone who wants to take the opportunity to invite us into their home and get to know us better.  We've made great friendships from many happenstance and randomly planned playdates.  The new phenomenon we've faced are playdates where parents ask us to drop one child off.  Having a first grader, I'm not certain I'm quite ready for it.  Yes, me.  There's a lot of apprehension I have about dropping my kid at a school friend's house and picking them up later.  Not that the people are monsters, but I don't know them and I'd feel more comfortable meeting them a couple times before I let my daughter go into a home I've never been in.  Here is a brief letter/vlog post on why.

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Dear OMWWP,
As much as I would love to drop my kids off at your house and keep going... I can't. Much of my fear is deeply rooted in the idea that child molestation is real. I can't in good faith leave my child in your care no matter how much you reassure me that my child is safe and will be under the best care imaginable.

It's not that I don't trust you... I don't trust new environments that I have no control over. And yes, no one in your home may be a registered sex offender but your son's friends, your neighbors or other family members and even the guy dropping off packages are all people I do not know and have never seen, met, scrutinized or spoken with.  My child being open, honest, loving and innocent as most children are should not be faced with the potential situation that may ruin her little being forever.

So I say this, if you want to have a play date lets play at the park. Let's meet up for coffee. Let's go to the zoo.

I must invest in the family that wants their child to be friends with my child. I must get to know you. I must hang out and build trust. I must be comfortable with you. I need to know you.

Nothing personal.