Playdate Planning for Dads

Dads do it all these days, from diapering to day care drop-offs, but I’ve noticed that there’s one area that many dads still seem to avoid: the dreaded Social Calendar. Granted, I’m sure there are lots of exceptions, but in my household and the households of almost all of my friends, it’s the woman who wields the telephone and schedules playdates.

I’m not sure whether this is a relic of gender-based roles, a result of the common male distaste for the telephone, or something else, but I’m overjoyed that Playdate Planet is paving the way to breaking down this final barrier. We’ve featured this Macaroni Kids partner before, but as a reminder, Playdate Planet is a free service that allows parents to schedule playdates quickly and easily online. You connect with the parents of your child’s friends (can be done easily via Facebook or e-mail address import), enter some limited data about your child and home and in less than five minutes you are ready to go. Your information is secure and can only be seen by those who you choose to connect with.

Co-Founder Meryl Neiman reports they have been thrilled with how many dads have joined the site. She says they seem to enjoy the high-tech no-telephone approach to playdate planning. With just a few clicks of the mouse, dads can view their child’s social calendar or post or accept a playdate. The site confirms the playdate on a first response basis up to the number of slots the parent makes available so nobody has to worry about their home being overrun with children. Dads also love the convenience of having emergency contact numbers right there on the site, along with allergy and medical info for the guests, and a GoogleMaps link to the playdate locale. Really, planning a playdate is now as easy as booking an airline ticket or making dinner reservations online.

In honor of Father’s Day, I encourage all you dads out there to give playdate scheduling the modern way a try. And moms, take your spouses online and give them a tour of Playdate Planet. They may have so much fun with the site that you’ll end up with one less thing to do!