Playdate - home alone?

If you're the parent of young children, you've undoubtedly arranged numerous playdates for them. When the playdate is at your house, you're responsible for keeping the kids safe and helping them with any conflicts. Likewise, you expect the same care of your children when they are at a friend's house.

Karen told me her playdate horror story. After picking her 5-year-old daughter up from her friend's house, Karen learned that the mother had left the two 5-year-olds in charge of a 3-year-old while she drove to pick up another child. While she was only gone about 20 minutes, leaving the kids alone in the house was completely unacceptable to Karen. From that point forward, Karen asked a few more questions before leaving her daughter at a friend's house!

When you drop your child off for a playdate, it's a perfect time to spend a little time talking to the other parent:

• When would you like me to pick my child up?
• Do you need to run any errands this afternoon? I could stop by and watch the kids if you need to leave. 

If you are just getting to know this family, you may also want to ask if there are guns in the house and if so, where they are kept.  Although these questions can seem a bit intrusive, it's hard to make decisions about your child's safety when you don't have enough information.