It is so hard to be a one and done family publicly, when you know that privately all you ever wanted and tried for (and nearly broke your body and savings for) was for a second child. And you know that people out there are either judging you as selfish for choosing to have only one, or looking down at you with pity you for (correctly) assuming you can’t have another. When your beloved only child cries on a the snow day because all they want is a sibling, posts like OP’s really twist that knife.

I see this with multiple child families more! "Larla hates her brother...can she come over while I work? I can't get anything done while they are screaming and fighting." I have one kid and snow days are fine here. She reads, she plays video games, she entertains herself.

I used to be a mom of 2 and now a mom of 3. All 3 of my kids would pick hanging out with a friend over their siblings 100% of the time.

When my kids were younger and I had 2, it would be a pain if one kid got invited to a party or play date. The uninvited would be upsetting being home alone. After I got the hang of it, I would host play date for uninvited kid and kids were older. Now they don’t care.

My youngest is 7 and she will still get bothered if her siblings have plans and she is home alone. If she didn’t have siblings who did so much, she would be fine being home alone.

What a weird take. I have two kids, but still offer to have playdates on these random days off because I know it might be helpful to a few parents who don't have the flexibility that my job allows. It takes a village, etc...

I'm one and done and maybe because of that, my backyard has all the fun stuff like playground, sand box, pool, sensory garden etc. My house is stocked with snacks, crafts, open ended play accessories. We even have an indoor rock wall. I probably over compensated because my kid is an only hahaha. So it's the other families who always want to come play here.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am so tired of the one and done by choice families I know complaining about how their kids won't let them get anything done on snow days and especially on holidays where they chose not to put their kids in camp. No, your child cannot have a play date on those days just because you need a way to occupy them. I have two children who like each other and play together and that's how we get through these days. YOU NEED TO COME UP WITH A PLAN THAT DOES NOT INVOLVE OTHER CHILDREN. You can't use me as your backup plan. I have a job and my own two kids to look after. Nope, just stop.

Wut.

CHILDREN have COOTIES

My kids played with their friends on the snow day!
Some have siblings, some don't! Quelle horror!

Anonymous wrote:I am so tired of the one and done by choice families I know complaining about how their kids won't let them get anything done on snow days and especially on holidays where they chose not to put their kids in camp. No, your child cannot have a play date on those days just because you need a way to occupy them. I have two children who like each other and play together and that's how we get through these days. YOU NEED TO COME UP WITH A PLAN THAT DOES NOT INVOLVE OTHER CHILDREN. You can't use me as your backup plan. I have a job and my own two kids to look after. Nope, just stop.

Why are you afraid of your kids socializing outside the family?

I agree OP, done neighbors are awful and their kids are brats too

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Its good to be an only child or to have a sibling to play with but both kind also need friends and playdates. Having friends has its value in your social growth.

Yeah, I'm getting the sense that OP's invited kid wanted to go on the playdate, but OP needs that kid to stay home in order to keep her other kid entertained. Maybe OP had to endure disappointed whining when she wouldn't let her kid go on the playdate.

Unless, what OP meant is that this family keeps trying to send their kid over to OP's house and expects OP to watch the kid. If that is happening regularly, particularly with no reciprocation, then yeah it's rude and annoying.

Totally agree. OP wanted her kid home to entertain her other kid, and her kid knew it and was resentful they had to be the babysitter instead of being able to hang out with a friend. But instead of inviting the friend over to play with both kids, she blamed the other mom for...suggesting a playdate...and is now doubling down. OP's poor kids probably didn't get to go out sledding because they were stuck at home together while mom worked.

+1 - One and happily done here - my child has a few friends they would have been happy to have over, but some of those friends have annoying siblings, so no invites were issued and we invited one of their only children friends over instead.

Anonymous wrote:I am so tired of the one and done by choice families I know complaining about how their kids won't let them get anything done on snow days and especially on holidays where they chose not to put their kids in camp. No, your child cannot have a play date on those days just because you need a way to occupy them. I have two children who like each other and play together and that's how we get through these days. YOU NEED TO COME UP WITH A PLAN THAT DOES NOT INVOLVE OTHER CHILDREN. You can't use me as your backup plan. I have a job and my own two kids to look after. Nope, just stop.

Wut.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Its good to be an only child or to have a sibling to play with but both kind also need friends and playdates. Having friends has its value in your social growth.

Yeah, I'm getting the sense that OP's invited kid wanted to go on the playdate, but OP needs that kid to stay home in order to keep her other kid entertained. Maybe OP had to endure disappointed whining when she wouldn't let her kid go on the playdate.

Unless, what OP meant is that this family keeps trying to send their kid over to OP's house and expects OP to watch the kid. If that is happening regularly, particularly with no reciprocation, then yeah it's rude and annoying.

+1

This post gives me the same vibes of that Mom who was so mad about her kids being invited to sleepovers; which she viewed as unnecessary and pointless and dangerous..and she wanted other families to just completely STOP having ANY sleepovers whatsoever so she didn’t have to deal with her kids asking to go and being disappointed when she said no.

Anonymous wrote:haha yeah you’ve really got things figured out

Right?!

Anonymous wrote:I am so tired of the one and done by choice families I know complaining about how their kids won't let them get anything done on snow days and especially on holidays where they chose not to put their kids in camp. No, your child cannot have a play date on those days just because you need a way to occupy them. I have two children who like each other and play together and that's how we get through these days. YOU NEED TO COME UP WITH A PLAN THAT DOES NOT INVOLVE OTHER CHILDREN. You can't use me as your backup plan. I have a job and my own two kids to look after. Nope, just stop.

Can't you just say sorry today won't work?

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA