Date: Thu, 3 Oct 1996 19:38:44 EDT

From: "Timothy M. Ennis" 72120.2224[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]COMPUSERVE.COM

Subject: Re: New word? playdate



I am familiar with playdate since the mid eighties when as 30-something

yuppies living in NYC, my wife and I had our first child. My daughter was in

fulltime daycare, but my wife would arrange to meet other wives with kids at

the local playgroundand talk while the kids played. When we moved to the

burbs, and put the two kids in private school we would arrange playdates or

overnights where the kids would visit a friend which required a drive to and

a later pickup. I think the term specifies only that it is a prescheduled

event which requires the parents setting it up.



This is very different from my own growing up, where the kids left the house

in the morning and might not return home till dinner. Even though my kids are

10 an 12 now and we live in a very good suburb, my wife is uncomfortable if

she doesn't see the kids on the property every 15 minutes or so.



I think this has some economic basis given the size of families today with 1

or 2 children versus 4 or 6 40 years ago. In the past if something bad

happened to a child it was tragic, but there were other children to carry on.

This also explains how drug using yuppies are so hypocritically imposing

alcohol and tobacco restrictions on the upcoming generation which will

probably backfire.



Tim