When Playdates Turn Into Pressure

JayJay defends JoJo as emotions take over during a playdate, leaving everyone confused — especially the friends who just came to have fun.

Playdates are supposed to be fun. But for families with autism, even something simple — like video games — can become emotionally exhausting.

Recently, JoJo had a playdate where the kids wanted to play Smash Bros. It’s just a game, but it involves winners and losers — and that’s where everything changed. Every time JoJo didn’t win, he cried, screamed, sobbed. He became overwhelmed and couldn’t regulate his emotions.

Meanwhile, JayJay — who is so protective of JoJo — got upset at the friends. He told them to lose on purpose so JoJo wouldn’t feel bad. Of course, that created a new problem: the other kids didn’t understand, and it made the playdate uncomfortable for everyone.

Then came the awkward moment of explaining everything to the friend’s mom and apologizing — once again. What should’ve been a joyful afternoon left me emotionally drained, questioning everything. How do other moms handle this? How do you explain autism in a moment of social tension without feeling like you're making excuses?

Even the shortest playdates can become the longest emotional roller coasters — and I wish it didn’t feel that way.