Mom Says It’s ‘a Bit Rude’ That Her Daughter Never Gets to Go to Friend’s House for Playdate

A mother is frustrated because her daughter isn’t being invited to a friend’s house, even though the boy often comes over to their home for playdates.

On Sunday, Aug. 10, the mom shared a post on Mumsnet about a “lovely” boy who lives nearby and “always” comes to play with her daughter. She explained that the 7- and 8-year-olds “play nicely together” and that he has even stayed for dinner during visits lasting up to five hours.

However, it’s rarely allowed for her daughter to visit the boy’s house. And when his parents do allow it, the kids have to stay outside.

“She’s even asked if she can play at his for a change (did her this was cheeky) and he said he wasn’t allowed but could come to ours,” the mom wrote. “My friends and I generally take turns hosting playdates. Does anyone else find this a bit rude?”

The majority of responses called the boy’s parents “cheeky” for letting him spend so much time at the mom’s house while rarely inviting her daughter over.

“Yeah, it’s a bit cheeky, but there might be a reason for it I guess. My DC [dear children] are older, but there are a couple of friends who always come to ours and never invite to theirs,” one person said. “I don’t really mind, but I stopped feeding them a while ago. I send them home at dinner time and that makes it less of a burden.”

“At our previous house, the other parents seemed to treat me like free childcare,” another person wrote. “It got to the point that I resented it because it wasn’t fair, so I put my foot down. Some people just take advantage.”

One comment said, “It’s not the child’s fault. Do you want your child to play with them? If yes, don’t overthink it. If you don’t want to provide food, then don’t.”

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Another commenter suggested reasons why the mom’s daughter might not be invited to the boy’s house. They asked:

“How well do you know his mom? How old are the kids? Perhaps she or someone else in the household struggles with anxiety or their mental health. There may be a hoarding issue, unpredictable pets, or a controlling partner?”