Do your kids have friends whose parents you are not crazy about? My oldest DD is almost 7 and she has a couple of neighborhood friends. One is a girl who is 6 who lives across the street. She likes to call and invite herself over or invite my daughter over to her house. I get the feeling that her parents don't even know that she is calling because on more than one occasion, I've asked to speak to the mom to make sure that it is OK that she come to our house or that my DD go to her house, and she seems a little caught off guard.

Well, anyhow, the other day the friend calls to invite herself over and I should have said no because I had a slight headache, but instead said yes. Three hours later, my headache turned into a full blown migraine so I decided to take her home. I get over to her house and nobody is home!!! So back to our house we go and her mom finally shows up an hour and a half later! Turns out she decided to run to the post office.

Then today, the daughter calls and asks to talk to my DD and invites her to go to the "swimming park". My DD relays this to me to which I said "maybe" and my DD hung up before I got to talk to the other mother. I immediately call back to their house and get no answer, so I thought maybe the friend just had the wild idea and hadn't actually asked her mom yet. 10 minutes later, they arrive at my house to pick up DD. She tells me where they are going and all the details, so I let DD go. She told me just to pack a towel, she would take care of admission, sunscreen, etc. After they leave, I thought to myself that I should have sent a water bottle (it was 102 degrees today), but told myself not to be such a worry wart, the friends mom would take care of it.

DD ended up eating dinner with them and got home at 9:30 (which irritates me too; we normally eat dinner 7:00 at the very latest and 9:30 is a liitle too late to be getting home in my opinion). When DD got home I asked all the normal questions about having fun and all that. Then I asked if friends mom bought her some water. Answer was no. She bought herself some water and shared with her DD, but none for mine!!! I am so mad!! It was super hot today! I'm not a confrontational kind of person, but should I say something? I almost want to end the playdates! I think I've seen enough differences in parenting styles that I don't agree with. What would you do? i get to see her again tomorrow at a birthday party, lucky me!

I also have problems with some of my oldest son's friends parents. I think it's a severely different parenting style, maybe. I am pretty much the overprotective mom, and I don't see anything wrong with wanting to know where my nine year old is at all times and when he will be home. My son's best friends parents are the total opposite. The mom lets them go all over the neighborhood, not knowing when they'll be back or if they're going to someone else's house. The first time I went to pick my son up from their house the boys weren't even there! I was upset, and asked the other mom where they were. They knew what time I was picking my son up. I had to drive to a playground to find them. She reassured me that they were fine, and they were, but that was not the point to me. She didn't know where my child was and that bothered me. This woman has since proven herself to be untrustworthy to me. We both volunteer at our kid's school to chaperone field trips and work at the carnivals they have to raise money. She was able to chaperone a field trip that I wasn't able to go to, and my son was in her group with his friend. She disappeared without telling anyone she was leaving, not my son, her son or the teacher. My son finally asked the teacher who they should be with since she left. Then we both volunteered for a carnival, working at one of the rides. We both got assigned to the same ride, and we needed at least three parents working this one for safety. She was late to show up, then left to move her car, then again to go to the bathroom, then she said we didn't need her and she was just going to go find her husband and kids. The other mom with me informed me that she does this all the time and she hates to work with her. Now I just try to suggest that my son invite his friend over here, that way I know where they are.

WOW!!!!!!!! I would definately have playdates at your houses in the future and also talk to the parents in advance to go over the details.

I saw the friend's mom today and I chose not to say anything to her. Come to find out, my other neighbor's are having the same trouble with her. I told DD that from now on if she wants to play with that friend, it's going to have to be at our house. Thanks to all for listening to me rant...