Force kids to play with family friends?

[Anonymous]

We have some friends we became close a decade ago when my kids were babies and toddlers. My kids don’t have any first cousins so these close family friends are as close to cousins as we will get. Our kids are in upper elementary school now and my kids have their own friends. They seem to not want to hang out with our family friends anymore. These are people we celebrate holidays with and travel with. Moms and dads are friends. The other kids seem to still like and want to hang out with my kids but my kids are not interested. We often say we are busy, which we are.

Would you force kids to hang out with the family friends?

[Anonymous]

No.

[Anonymous]

Unless the kids are mean, abusive, or super snotty to them, yes.

Kids need to learn that sometimes you need to be nice to and socialize with people even if they aren't their favorite people.

[Anonymous]

Absolutely

[Anonymous]

On a regular basis? No. Once in awhile? Yes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:On a regular basis? No. Once in awhile? Yes.

This. I grew apart from childhood family friends in late elementary but I still appreciated that our families liked to get together occasionally and didn't object.

[Anonymous]

Yes. They can be polite for a few hours at each others' homes every few months.

[Anonymous]

Absolutely if you mean at gatherings when the families come together. I’m assuming you mean that and not random play dates that you arrange for the kids?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Absolutely if you mean at gatherings when the families come together. I’m assuming you mean that and not random play dates that you arrange for the kids?

Trying to do a family outing like movies or farm to hang out. It would be just my family and other family. My kids don’t want to go. They also don’t want to just hang out with the one other family.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:On a regular basis? No. Once in awhile? Yes.

This

[Anonymous]

Not always but sometimes yes.

[Anonymous]

Another vote for “sometimes.” If you do holidays and travel together, and you have a history, then these people are like family. As long as the kids are pleasant, then yes I would expect my kids to occasionally hang out. And maybe they will grow to appreciate the relationships more again in the future.

[Anonymous]

Sometimes is good. My parent had lots of friends with kids. And i saw them a couple times a year. Never became close friends but we were polite and hung out all through HS if our parents were getting together. I was my moms +1 to some of her friends' kids weddings too.

[Anonymous]

You move most get togethers to adult only but a few times a year is fine.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Unless the kids are mean, abusive, or super snotty to them, yes.

Kids need to learn that sometimes you need to be nice to and socialize with people even if they aren't their favorite people.

This 100%. The kids declaring that they are "not interested" doesn't mean the decision is now made for the entire family.