Sleepovers - Page 2

[*bejeweled*]

Thank you for sharing this. I too worry about the family members---the older siblings and their buddies, the father who often is not around and you don't know well, but may be around the night of the sleepover. The mother and the child are usually well known to me, but not necessarily the other members of the household.

Originally Posted by Bug-a-Boo's Mama

Wow. Great thought provoking responses. I loved sleepovers as a child. Probably started them around 2nd grade, but they were with best friends, never a casual school friend. I never had a bad experience. I had always assumed that DS would do them as he got older.

But it is the truth that just because you trust a family, it doesn't mean everyone in the family is trustworthy. I was molested by my babysitters teenage son for I don't know how long. And these were long term babysitters, I was treated like family, spent a lot of time there. Single mom, going to school and working evenings. And no one ever knew or found out.

[lonegirl]

My son had his first sleepover at grandma's with his 2 cousins (4 and 7 tomorrow) last night....
That being said he has no "friends" yet but I am sure when he is in school and is ready then, yes....I will. It was one of my fondest memories as a child. When I was quite young it was at my grandparents with my cousins, then from about grade 4 until well into highschool I spent a great deal of time at friends' houses (my best friends). I grew up in a very small community (500 at the most in the township) and everyone knew everyone. My class had 7 girls and with 4 of them we spent the night at each others houses all the time. The small community aspect is why we want to move back from the big city (Toronto). Of course there is a risk wherever you go and as parents it is our duty to protect our children....but In part of that is getting to know the families as well...I would be very sad if people were always suspicious of us because of something they fear we may do.

[MJB]

I loved sleepovers as a kid and my kids have had a couple, and enjoyed them. They have friends who are brothers, the youngest is 5 and my youngest is 4 and our big kids are 7. They had their first sleepover when my kids were 3 and 6. I would let my kids sleepover at any of their friends' houses if I knew and was comfortable with both parents.

My oldest son also went to sleep-away camp for 4 days last summer, at age 6.5. He loved it and wants to go again this year.