Need Advice : Am I being a over protective parent??

[MomtoEmIs&Ow]

I don't know if another poster mentioned this but your DS might not feel like he is getting 'free' with his friends when he sees them at basketball. They are there to play basketball not do whatever they like. I think all kids need that. I know sometimes it is hard to arrange play dates, but I think that it's important. Good Luck!

And my daughter who is 12 has been talking to friends on the phone since she was 4 -in kindergarden.

 

[Worfiedoodles]

My ds10 received a call from a friend the other day and went right into the bathroom. We assumed it was because he wanted privacy -- then we heard the flush!

Moral of the story -- although we thought it was obvious this was not appropriate behavior, apparently it hadn't occurred to ds. We had a little chat about it, and I doubt he'll do it again. I'm sure you'll want to go over phone etiquette, but then do let him call! We thought we had covered it all, but this one never occurred to us...

You never know what funny stories you will have to tell after your kids start phoning others!

 

[crisi]

My kids have been making those calls since kindergarten. Now going into third and forth grade.

My son has always had a TON of friends. If I allowed it, I'd never see the kid from Friday night to Sunday - he'd have sleepovers booked up.

My daughter has a rougher time socially. A lot of the first friends she had were from split families - so the kids had to be at Dad's for the weekends - which really limits the playdates.

In your situation, I'd pick up the phone and make a playdate for Saturday at your house for a few hours with a friend. Do this every week or so rotating through names (there was a point in my daughters friendship cycle that I picked up the call tree from school and started calling every home on there - and you know what - she got playdates, and some of them were reciprocated - and there were some kids that after we had them over went on Mom's 'do not call' list).

(We do the phone handoff thing "My mom needs to talk to your mom" - but by that time they've determined they want to play together, its just parental negotiation of terms.)

 

[sunnyday123]

Kids generally start calling each other around the end of 3rd begining of 4th grade, so I'd let him call someone. Maybe you could set up something fun-backyard pool, slip n slide,etc and he could invite over a school friend. Having something specific to do would take the edge off the anxiety of the setting up the playdate. Personally, the whole playdate thing drives me nuts, I like to schedule thm for days DD is at her dads! Just keep incouraging him, so he doesn't feel so left out. I know all about wanting to shelter your child from every imaginable hurt or bad feeling, but sometimes they have to make that first step.