Parents of your Kids Friends

Are you friends with or interact with the parents of your kids' school friends? Do you feel you should be closer with them just because your children are friends, or do you feel indifferent, like they are just another parent?

I've had some mixed interactions. Some of my kids' friends parents seem to barely acknowledge me, but then others seem to think we are instantly close because of the kids. I sort of prefer the latter, because I feel if the children are interacting, we should somewhat be in good standing too. So I find it odd when some mom's are standoffish despite our kids being close.

I am a homeschool mom. I like to know the parents of the children my kids hang out with. I feel that if the parent is someone I can get along with and who is nice and respectful then they probably expect more from their children than parents who don't monitor their children. I don't let my kids hang out with kids if I don't know their parents. They can say hi and play outside with them for a little while if I'm supervising but they can't go to their house. I also don't let my kids go to someones house that I haven't been in and that I don't trust completely. You never know where there might be guns or other dangerous things. It's my job to keep my kids safe no matter where they are.

My kids closest friends are the kids of my friends or I have become great friends with the parent after our kids met. It is just more convenient when both the parents and the kids feel like they are both getting to see their friend at the same time.

My daughter isn't near school age yet, but her friends are kids whose mothers were pregnant at the same time as me, that I met through a pregnancy group. So we're all friends and hang out socially without the children, too! So that's nice. I'd hope that I would at least have some level of friendship with the parents of other children my child befriends - it would feel awkward to me if they were just stand-offish and disinterested!

I am friendly with my children's friend's parents, but I do not expect to be great friends with them. We interact when the children are together but usually not at an other time. I will not let my children go to their friends house if I have not met the parents. Most play dates are at public places like the skate rink or some other place to play depending on the weather. I think it is important for your children to see you make friends and how to behave around other people to help them learn the proper behavior when they are with other people.