Shabbos Play Dates- How long?

Posted: Mon, Feb 26 2007, 2:16 pm Post subject: Shabbos Play Dates- How long?

when you have playdates on shabbos, how long does the friend stay?
how many hours? until after shabbos?

Last time, someone stayed 6 hours. I thought that was WAY too much!!!

Silver Member Joined: Dec 01 2006 Posts: 688

It totally depends on the ages of the dc - my older dc are 4 and 5 and playdates are usually 1 1/2 - 2 hours. As they get older I can see them lasting up till 3 hours...but 6 is really excessive!

My dd (5 ys old)loves when 1 of her friends comes to play on Shabbos.
Her father used to bring her right after lunch (1:00)and pick ed her up on Motzey.
I felt it was too much & they also made a lot of noise and didnt let my dh rest.So I told them gently they can only bring her after 4:00 (when no one rests here anymore)-and I feel the girls have enough time to play and have fun.

thanks everyone.

glad to know I wasn't crazy. I was thinking maybe everyone does that & I'm out of the loop.

next time, I'm going to put my foot down, & how choc moose says- I'll say NO Smile

after shabbos, I was in such a bad mood because I felt like I was just a babysitter

We arrange playdates most shabbosim for our kids . I tell everyone they can spend as much time because we have a basement where the kids play and its no skin off my back. If you feel like a babysitter then maybe your kids need to be taught how to entertain their friends rather than you being the entertainer and sitter. Teach them appropriate noise level toys and games and have them prepare shabbos party and the like.

amother, you have to understand. The girls are in kindergarten. They did entertain themselves for quite awhile, but they can't entertain themselves for 6 hours!!!! Most kids can't!
They did prepare shabbos party. Plus, they kept complaining that the younger kids were bothering them, so I had to keep separating them.

Posted: Tue, Feb 27 2007, 12:03 pm Post subject:

they are too little to be left alone for that long and shouldn't be left unattended for that long either - make a limit and if someone abuses that privilege - next time she knocks do not let her in!!!
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Posted: Tue, Feb 27 2007, 1:39 pm Post subject:

The only kids I don't mind staying for hours are neighbors because they can go home whenever. But if a parent brings a child & leaves them a long time, that is unreasonable.

I've never had that on Shabbos but I had it once during the week. I brought the kid home with DD at 3pm from school. The mother called at 5 to say she had her baby in the bath & then she'll come. She came at 6:15!! BTW, DD & her friend are 3 & this was the 1st time the kid came over. I'm not rushing to invite HER again!