Do you send your child with a towel?

Thank you. See my philoposhy is that I want my kids where I can see them. SOOO if my house is fun and good they will come...... you know if you build it they will come : I would rather have my kids here and keep everyone happy then send them to someone elses house, kwim? Plus it makes my kids happy and proud when they can hand out the pops and pour the lemonade!

what a sweet mama you are i'd def. send my dd with a towel, and i'd send her with some money in an envelope and some snacks or drinks. she'd be lucky to have a neighborhood mama like you whose house she could play at.

I my fluffy towels and wouldn't give one to a neighbouring kid. Yup, send 'em home for a towel.

~Daednu

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I feel the same way. We are always the ones to invite dd's friends here. I don't mind (too much anyway) that the favor usually isn't reciprocated. I'm hoping we can keep this up throughout her childhood so that we always know who her friends are.

I definitely don't think you should provide towels....absolutely not. If they are in the neighborhood then they can go home if they want a towel. Are they asking for towels? If so, maybe remind them to go home and get a towel before they get wet. Dd's friend across the street had a slip-n-slide for a while. I didn't send a towel with her because I knew that it would either get lost or destroyed, but if she needed one then she would come home for one. I did pitch-in and bought popsicles for them. I don't think it's right for parents to let their children take advantage of other parents' niceness without reciprocating something to show their appreciation. I would never accept money though.

I'd definately send a towel. My kids have their own beach towels. In the summer, they're rarely washed...they get hung on the line to dry and reused the next day.

I'm on the flip side of this. Our neighbour has a slip n slide and provides snacks. I wish she wouldn't, as they are always kool aid and dry cocoa puff cereal kinds of snacks. I send healthy snacks over with my kids for everyone -- nobody wants them and they get wasted. She gives my kids sugary junk all the time. It's very generous of her, but I just don't want that. I try to keep the kids around here, but I'm pg and tired, we can't afford a ton of fun toys, and if I don't give treats like popsicles or candy, the little boy runs home to get some. I'm already feeling overwhelmed and missing my kids with this one boy, what will happen when school is over!

I do think that from now on I will just say when they show up, why don't you run home and get a towel. I just don't want to do more laundry, and because they use them, then throw them on the lawn and they get grassy and dirt they have to be washed. 5 extra towels is another load, kwim? I feel like Scrooge but I do think I am going to nicely say they should go and get one. And yes they do ask for one, which boggles my mind, I tell them sorry but maybe ds can share, I can't give towels to the whole neighborhood. They must think I am super mean for that but well I just don't want to lend out all my towels.

Brisen, I try hard not to give out crap. I make very weak lemonade and just regular ice pops. I would never give out candy and such, I think that would be a) expensive and b) innapproriate for kids who are not allowed that stuff. When we have kids over we usually have pirates booty, goldfish, cheese sticks, pretzels or fruit. All the kids I give ice pops too eat far worse things at their own houses and I would never give it to a child whose parent was against it. I HATE Koolaid and would never even have that in my house. I do think it is wrong to feed a child something you know they are not allowed to have, I don't blame you for being upset.