Sleepovers

[SoonerTexan]

I feel like this has been discussed before, but I thought this was an interesting read:

http://www.challies.com/articles/why...-do-sleepovers

I actually agree and think we will be following a no sleepover rule until X age (on a case by case basis) as well.

[Pollyanna]

We rarely do sleepovers. Our kids have never really been into them and tbh they are tired of most kids after so many hours, lol. Most sleepovers have been at our house and the guests are gone by 9am. Outside sleepovers are on a case by case basis. We have also done "late-overs" where kids stay somewhere until 11 or midnight but come home to sleep.

[poky]

The only sleepovers I remember from before I was in HS were when my parents would go away for a weekend and my sister and I would sleep at the house of friends from church who also had two daughters our ages that we hung out with a lot already. Once we were in our teens, I remember a handful of slumber party birthday parties, but not a lot. None of my close friends had older siblings, now that I think about it. I agree with the article that it's not really more dangerous now than it was then, but of course there is some danger if you don't *really* know the situation well.

[v-girl]

We have certain friends that they are allowed to do sleepovers with — parents have the same values, morals, standards. Or they can go to a cousin's (my sister or brother's house).


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[TulipsAndSunscreen]

I think we'll do limited sleepovers. It was a really fun part of my childhood and I actually think that (within reason), it's part of more "free-range" parenting. I think it's a valuable skill to learn how to be a good guest (in a safe context).

[GreyhoundsRUs]

I hated them growing up. We probably won't do them except with family - but considering they have no cousins, it's a moot point! I do not want to host any sleepovers, either. I think a "late-over" is enough fun.

[Ladybug]

My kids love sleepovers, but maybe we're the exception to the rule. We've been blessed with some amazing friends who we spend more time with than our cousins (out of state) or other extended family. There's crafts/activites, TCBY, starbucks served in bed in the morning, breakfast at local diners, tents, counting for shooting stars until there's too many bug bites, swimming pools, nerf ball wars, wii, making music videos with the videostar app. We have a Harry Potter enthusiast staying with us in August and attending Hogwarts at the city library with DD1 and DD2. They'll be sorted, got to potions classes, get diplomas, then we'll take them to TCBY, swimming the next day. We've know these families and kids forever. They've grown up together. We know all the parents personally and professionally, and it's a tight-knit group of families. They are also all-girl families with the exception of one little brother. Now that we're changing schools it will take a couple of years to become comfortable with new families, of course, we're holding on tightly to the old friends too.

[Ladybug]

Just this week I was sharing some memories with my kids about camping with my family and friends. When we were older (MS and HS) we could invite a friend on vacation with us. We went camping at Garner state park every summer in Texas. My friends and I still have inside jokes on FB about those days. We had so.much.fun together. We all grew up together (same school since kindergarten) and one of them went on to become a college roomate for a couple of years. We grew up in a small town, our parents went to church together, so maybe there was a false sense of security…but I think there can also be a false sense of danger. I treasure those memories! They still crack me up. Yes, I probably did some things I wouldn't have done with my family (dancing to Baby Got Back in the headlights of a parked car in a camp ground) but, honestly, I'm glad I did.

There's a friends DD1 is very fond of, but they don't do playdates or sleepovers because it's "dangerous" per DD1's friend. It's hard not to take it a little personally, but I realize it a blanket rule. It's just weird to me and hard to explain to DD1 given her positive experiences. Maybe something happened to one of the parents or family members. Both parents are doctors, so I think it's also a convenient rule because then they never have to take time out of there schedule to facilitate their kid's friendships. JMO.

[Thirteen]

I always fell asleep first, and became the face of every practical/mean girl joke.

I remember some fun times, but mostly, the bad stuff sticks out. :/


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[HouseofWool]

I don't like big groups, but I am fine with having a friend or possibly 2 sleep over. But, I much prefer that the groups be even numbers so no one is excluded when the kids pair off.

[alotofyarn]

I agree with T&S. My sister and I did sleepovers all the time with one set of neighbors around 4th-5th grade, and we spent the night or had friends over pretty often with friends in HS too. It was usually smaller groups with only the occasional large sleepover for a special occasion, and we occasionally got into mischief or drama, but mostly it was silly girly stuff.

[ladymoreta]

I'll probably go with my parents' standard. There were a few friends I could spend the night with, but only ones my parents knew their parents very well. I could probably count on one hand the number of friends who met that criteria growing up. I could invite pretty much anyone to spend the night at our house, and it didn't seem awkward to me if they said they couldn't, because I knew how strict my parents were and assumed theirs were similar.

[Phoebe]

I don't particularly like sleepovers. My kids do. I do it for them. I don't plan a lot for them unless it is a slumber party.

[houseelf]

I don't know that this is a debate. I have a healthy respect for what Dr. Dobson is saying. I personally know someone who has an ex-husband doing time for grooming his daughter's friends at sleepovers. It is a risk and one we should try to mitigate as much as possible.

With this being said, I'm not going to create any big surprise by admitting that we do sleepovers. I loved them as a child and my kids love them. Right now we have three of our own kids and three others. Our slab concrete basement currently has become a teen boy cave. On different nights my daughter has a little friend over and they play kareoke. (sp?) I'm happy to be the hangout place...most of the time. Then I'm like "go home". No really. Get your crap home. LOL.

[SoonerTexan]

I never know what will turn into a debate so I stuck it here