Every stage of childhood is accompanied by parental struggles and problems. But as babies grow into toddlers and toddlers start school, social dynamics with friends and classmates can often be the biggest source of confusion than raising children of your own. Take, for example, a recent TikTok posted by Aime Sieh (@aimeesieh), who described a “strange situation” that happened when her son invited friends over to play.
Sieh’s son Tatum, six, often gave his mother’s phone number to the school so his friends’ parents could arrange playdates. He gave it to his friend “Fred” and his mother contacted Xie. After some back-and-forth about logistics, they scheduled a Saturday afternoon for the kids to play in Xie’s backyard paddling pool.
Shortly before Fred was scheduled to arrive, his mother told Amy that his grandmother would bring him. But what happened next surprised Sheikh.
“Grandma showed up, parked at the end of my driveway, handed me his bathing suit and said ‘Okay, I’ll see you in a couple hours,'” she recalled. “I don’t know these people! I’ve never seen them before. [Grandma] Didn’t even come into my house to see if we were complete weirdos.
The kids had a great time. Xie even sent videos of the boys to “Fred’s” mother. But apparently, “hours passed” with no word from Fred’s family. When Sieh texted asking “Fred” if he would stay for dinner, she said no thanks and she would pick him up in 15 minutes, which she did.
“This was not the day I expected,” Sieh concluded. “I want her to show up with him and play with him for an hour, an hour and a half, and then they leave. Maybe I’m just making a fuss because I’m a protective mama bear, but I’m not going to put my Six year old dumped in someone’s house I’ve never met. Tell me if I’m overreacting or this is just a little sketch.
The reaction in the comments was completely different. Some are entirely on the side of the Sheikh.
“I have a 17-year-old daughter and I wouldn’t send her to a friend’s house if I hadn’t at least met her parents,” one netizen replied.
Another said: “It blows my mind that some parents are just different.”
“That’s weird for a first date,” mused a third. “But to be honest, I don’t remember my mom attending any of my play dates.”
But it seems that most people are totally on board with “getting off” playdates.
“I’ve never been on a play date in my life,” said one commenter, who shared that they have adult children. “Maybe it’s a generational thing?”
“This is standard in Germany too,” another mother said. “I enjoy playing with a lot of kids, but I tend to have a hard time making small talk with parents.”
Others pointed out that regardless of how people feel about it, this story serves as a reminder to clearly communicate expectations ahead of time so everyone is on the same page, which, honestly, is just good advice overall. As a parent of teenagers, I want to reassure people that this is just one of the many issues you’ll encounter when your child develops a life and interests outside of your house with people you may only know. Take a deep breath, talk to as many people as you can, and you’ll get through it.
