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'We will NOT be providing snacks or drinks'. Welcome to the world of playdate contracts.

By MELISSA WELLHAM

When I was a kid, play dates with my friends were fairly simple affairs. I would skip merrily on over to their house after school, and we would proceed to (a) climb trees and imagine we were pirates, (b) act out complicated storylines where our Barbies were participating in torrid love affairs, while juggling fulfilling careers as vets (it was always vets), or (c) pretend we were witches and try to make things levitate with our minds. As you do.

But my parents never had to sign to a contract before one of these play dates.

Well, the times they are a-changing.  

Last week, a user on the internet forum Reddit posted this photo:

It’s a contract. A contract given to the poster’s six-year-old child, that outlines the rules that must be obeyed when visiting their neighbours’ house and playing on their water slide.

If the rules aren’t followed? Well, then the children will be sent home, and they won’t be allowed to play on the slide anymore. Presumably ever again.

Now, a lot of these rules are just common sense. Like, not doing somersaults off the water slide. Good call, friendly neighbours. But is a contract really necessary? I can’t help but feel it’s a little cray-cray. Then again, if I had a water slide, maybe I’d be overprotective too…

Well, what do you think? Is writing a contract before kids come over to play a good idea? 

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