8.12.2008

School Friends & Play Dates

Emma's been talking about her classmates since the first day of school. She has amazing recall and can remember names after meeting people once so by the 3rd day of school she had all her classmates names down (not easy considering several of them have some non American names). Anyway, two girls she's been talking about since the first day are Kristina and Bailey. Well, we had a Dairy Queen date with Bailey and I got to meet her and her mom (very sweet..both of them). Kristina, however, I have not met..other than a brief glance the day I was the lunch lady. So Emma came home yesterday determined to have a play date with Kristina. Apparently Kristina's mom came to have lunch with them yesterday and was coming back today so she told Emma to bring her phone number so we could set something up. So I sent a note and the mom called me this evening to ask if Emma could come over and play on Friday. Emma could go home with them Fri. after school and stay for dinner. She'd then bring Emma home or I could go get her. I know Emma really wants to go and would be really excited so I said yes.

Then I hung up and started to freak out a little bit. I've NEVER let Emma go to anyone's house that I don't know or that I've never been to. This is a new friend, one I don't know anything about other than she does live in a nice neighborhood next to school and that she has an older sister. So I'm freaking out..do I let her go and if I change my mind how do we get out of it? Is it OK just to let go..but she's only 5! It's only been recently that she's been to anyone's house without me! I want Emma to be independent, to make friends and be social but at the same time I want to know the kids too. Help!

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Good luck w/this one, girlfriend! It is definitely hard to let go... that being said, I still haven't let Jessica go to someone's house before I met their mom. Maybe you could arrange to meet her sometime before Friday? Or even pick Emma up yourself and take her to the playdate so you can scope out the place ;) Jaycie starts on Monday! Sounds like Emma is doing awesome!

Amy said...

Wow...that's a tough one. Yeah, I'm a big ole freak about Eve. I wouldn't let her go somewhere until I met the parents and the kid. I'm sure it will be fine either way though! If she takes time to go have lunch with her kid, she's probably an ok person. How fun that Emma's having playdates with her classmates!

Jules said...

Hmmm...we're in the same boat. We haven't had playdates without knowing the parents first. Obviously you have talked to the mom on the phone, though. How were your vibes from that? I don't know what I would do in that situation...