10 Most Annoying Things Kids Do on Playdates

AppId is over the quota
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I love when my daughter has playdates at our house. She has fun. I get to take a break from being her main source of entertainment. And there's none of the stress over whether she's behaving at someone else's house. There is, however, one big problem with hosting playdates: the behavior of the other kids!

The key to a bad playdate is a monster kid, and if they do anything on this list, they're not going to be invited back:

1. Eating out of my fridge without asking. I always make sure I have plenty of snacks on hand when there are kids over, and chances are you COULD have that yogurt or popsicle. But I might have been saving it for something special (you know, like my lunch). All you had to do was ask.

2. Being mean to my dog. This is HER house, and she deserves to be safe here (that's why I rescued her in the first place!).

3. Leaving dirty socks in the middle of my living room floor. We're a barefoot family, and whipping your socks off to run outside is pretty common. But trust me, smelling my own kid's stinky ones is enough for me. It may not be a dealbreaker, but it's not exactly endearing.

4. Treating my furniture like a jungle gym. I give the really little ones a pass (my friend's 4-year-old is still a bit of a climber, and she is also very good about lecturing him about not climbing my furniture). But if you're 8 years old, you're old enough to know better than to stand on the back of my couch or throw yourself into my dining room chairs.

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5. Ignoring me when I talk to you. I don't care how shy you are. When you are in my house, and I ask you whether you want a PB&J or a ham sandwich, you answer me! 

6. Encouraging my daughter to be naughty. My kid is not an angel. I know she'll get up to hijinx all by herself, but when I can hear you in her bedroom trying to convince her to disobey me, you are reminding me to lose your phone number.

7. Wasting food. If you don't like the way I make mac and cheese, that's fine. But don't go for seconds when you didn't even finish your first helping ... and then leave it all on the plate.

8. Not taking "no" for an answer. I'm a pretty easygoing mom, and when my daughter has a friend over, I don't hover. When I say "no," I have a very good reason. If you can't listen to my rules, I can't guarantee to your mom that you'll be safe at my house.

9. Being mean to my kid. I expect her to be nice to you, and I will discipline her if she isn't. I expect the same from you.

10. Demanding electronics. You're here to play with my kid, not use our XBox or watch TV. Get your butt outside!

What's the worst thing a child has done during a playdate at your house? Did you ban them from your house? 

Images by Jeanne Sager