Canceling Play Dates Playdates
Is There Proper Etiquette?
I think every parent has been there before, today is Monday and the play date is set for Friday. We know how our kids ask relentlessly every.sing.day. Are we going to play today? Those five days feel like a lifetime. But what happens when the day finally arrives, the play date is at 2:30, and at 2:20, you get a phone call from the other parent. When you see the number on the caller ID, you assume they just want to let you know they have arrived, and are parking. No, that is not what the phone call is about, at 2:20, after you have packed the kids up and are already at the place, the other parent is canceling.
This is a true story: a mom asked for the advice of other moms in a social media moms group if she was at fault for a fall out with a friend. The situation was a military wife planned a family vacation, however her husband was not approved the time to take off. In the meanwhile, as the mom is discussing with another mom her disappointment, the other mom suggested to take her mind off not going on vacation but to get their kids together and have a play date. They made plans to meet up at a local restaurant for lunch and afterward play in the play area at the restaurant. Sounds fun, right? Yes! Especially for the little ones. Can you imagine the excitement?
The mom that is the military wife, husband, came home early from work to let his wife know his leave dates were approved and they were going on vacation. They were leaving the day of the play date. The mom texted the other mom whom she was meeting up with to let her know, at 2:20, 10 minutes before the play date, that she could not make it because her husband was able to go on vacation. The other mom was livid and since has not communicated with the mom that broke the play date.
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