Is Your Baby Ready For Play Dates? Top 6 Ways To Make Play Dates A Success.


by Pammy Brown - Date: 2006-12-21 - Word Count: 822 Share This!

You have watched your new baby grow from a tiny infant asleep in his crib to a bouncing ball of energy. He is no longer satisfied with his usual surroundings. He (and you) is ready to hit the outdoors and begin forming bonds with other children and their parents. How do you know if it is time to begin the play date ritual and how can you ensure that they are successful? The last thing you want to do after packing diaper bags, juices, diapers, and toys is to come back more tired and overwhelmed than before you left! Play dates are designed to refresh both mom and child through interaction with other human beings. Following are six tips to make sure your play dates are relaxing, enjoyable and fun!

First, how do you know if your baby or toddler is ready to begin interacting with other children? This is something that is not automatic and may take some time before he or she is ready to share their space and playthings with other children? The answer may surprise you. It is never too early to begin play dates. The key is that your expectations should not be too high. Your child may not automatically fall in love with his playmate and have a best friend for life. If you can remember that your child will interact at his own pace, then you are ready to introduce him to the social world. The truth is, even if the children do not interact, your time with other adults is just as important. Relating stories about motherhood, swapping parenting tips and laughing can make it easier to cope with the many challenges of motherhood. So even if your child is one month-old, go ahead and plan that play date. It may turn out to be a "mommy date" and that is great for you.

When children reach the age around 18 months, they really begin to play with toysThis may still be the case on a play date. Children will most likely play alone with toys or objects than with each other. This is a normal part of development. Eventually, the children will notice each other but are probably going to be more interested in the unfamiliar toys that surround them. Make sure you have plenty of educational toys for babies to explore. Toys with sounds, textures and bright colors are wonderful to introduce during play dates.

The first thing you want to avoid during a play date is a fight or tantrum. It may become awkward for you and the other mother if the children begin to fight. A best practice is to leave your baby's favorite toys at home! He may not want to share a toy or blankie that is close to his heart. If you must bring the item for comfort, make sure it stays in the car for after the play date. On the other hand, it may be a good idea to pack a few of your child's toys that the other child has not seen yet. If you are meeting at a friend's home, their child is familiar with all of the toys that will be in the there. Bringing toys that are unfamiliar to this child may help keep both the children happy, occupied and ready for play.

Do your best to avoid scheduling any type of play date or activity at your baby's nap time. You are setting yourself up for disaster. A cranky, tired child is no fun for anyone. Schedule play dates during the morning or mid afternoon so that your child will be good and ready to take a long nap when you get home. Toddlers also have a limited attention span. Making play dates too long will leave your child tired and ready to go home. A good time frame when beginning play dates should be around one hour.

When planning play dates it is wise to not over stimulate your child. If he is just beginning his social interaction you do not want to over do it. Small play dates with one or two other children is a good place to start. Some children are naturally shy and would feel anxiety about being in a room full of children. Others are more social and would flourish in this situation. The best advice is to know your child's personality and plan play dates according to his or her social needs.

Play dates are a great way to introduce both you and your child to social interaction. Follow these five tips to have a successful play date each and every time. Be sure to be realistic. Children don't always share, they sometimes hit, scratch and cry. This is all normal and when these things occur it doesn't mean that your play date was a bust. Keep at it. You and your baby will begin to look forward to adventures with other families. Now get out there and play!


Related Tags: babies, educational toys, toys, diaper bags

Cinda Serafin is a contributing writer and editor for the Parenting Resource Center found at Brown Eyed Baby Boutique. If you are looking for educational toys for play dates visit our best selling educational baby toy section. For more more information on top five toys for play-dates, visit our Parenting Resource Section at Brown Eyed Baby Boutique.

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