"Playdate scheduling can be anxiety-producing for introverted parents—especially those with extroverted children. My youngest, an extrovert, has repeatedly pulled me by the hand to meet one of her friends’ parents on the school playground to force an exchange of contact information and small talk. It often ends with a promise of getting the kids together in the future. And with school back in session, I anticipate new playdate requests from new friends will start rolling in.
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Does the exchange feel a little bit awkward? Usually. But I appreciate that my kid pulls me out of my comfort zone (sort of). I’m also happy she’s so confident and outgoing, but being a more introverted parent, it’s a lot. And that’s before playing social coordinator for her schedule. However, I know I’m not the only parent who finds the playdate game tough, and a few of them are going viral for their creative solution. To make scheduling playdates less awkward, some parents have gone a little old-school—creating playdate contact cards for their kids to share.
What Are Playdate Business Cards?
Essentially, parents create a contact card with their child’s name, parent’s name(s), and phone number(s). They might carry them to the playground or send them in their child’s backpack to share with a new friend at school.
TikTok creator Vanity Rodriguez’s video went viral, explaining that she received a playdate calling card in her son’s backpack. She was expecting a birthday invitation but instead loved that it looked like a business card with both parents’ phone numbers and even a Roblox username.
Another mom, artist Brianna Mullally, was recently featured on Today for her playdate calling cards because she started to sell them on Etsy, with the cute call-to-action, “Have Your People Call My People.” She said her orders ticked up with the back-to-school.
Would You Use a Playdate Card?
For introverted parents, these might seem like a genius idea. Extroverted parents might not understand why it’s so hard to just talk to other parents. But the comments on Rodriguez’s video are overwhelmingly positive:
Introverted Parents Love the Idea
“hoping to get the details on how the mom did that because my daughter is an extravert and I’m an introvert lol so this would HELP 🤣”—Kim SAHM Vlogger Ross 💕
“Well now I’m going on Canva or word to make a play date business card because my daughter always wants to talk to me/visit her little friends and I’m like I have no info girl”—always_fela
“I know you said extroverted parent w/ extroverted child but im an introvert and so are my kids and THIS is perfect for us Introverts. I would imagine it would easier for extroverts just approach.”—🌳👒Osry🧺🍰
Parents Who’ve Already Used Playdate Contact Cards
“My daughter is in the 3rd grade and I’ve made these for her every year. Shes been able to make long lasting friendships”—blushandbashful
“I add these on goodie bags and gift exchanges during class parties. My son now has a solid group of friends he can count on for play dates! They are actually coming over tomorrow 🥰”—eycamari
“omg i do this bcs i alway so holiday theme bags & know one ever reaches out i think im the only extrovert parent😭😂”—Perla Argumedo
“My parents own a print shop and my dad made me calling cards when I was a kid back in the 90’s for our land line. They had little squirrels on them 🐿️❤️”—DuckDiva
Tips on Making Your Own Playdate Cards
“I have one like this but a little postcard—I also list things we do (eat gluten, nuts, etc.) and don’t (have guns in the house, have pets, etc.)”—phithom256
“The Roblox is genuis because it could be an ice breaker for the shy ones. Then it can lead up to play dates 🥺”—Big G
But it’s always smart not to put TOO much info on the card, as one commenter mentioned, “I’d be scared it gets lost and all the info is out there 😭”—Roni 💕
Shop Playdate Business Cards
Of course, you don’t necessarily need to create a fancy playdate business card. I’ve received a Post-it note with another mom’s phone number to help schedule a sought-after playdate. But the calling cards certainly formalize it—and have the cute factor. Here are a few cute options to shop:
Kathy Sisson, Senior Editor
A mom of two, Kathy is passionately committed to sharing the honest, helpful—and often humorous—stories of motherhood, as she navigates her own everyday adventures of work, marriage, and parenting. She honed her creative and strategic skills at advertising agencies in Detroit and Chicago, before pivoting from marketing to editorial. Now instead of telling brand stories, she’s sharing her own, with articles published across popular parenting sites—including hundreds of stories on The Everymom.