At what age can child do a sleepover with friend for child care?

[Anonymous]

I’m a single mom who sometimes needs to travel for work. I don’t have any good childcare options when I need to travel. My child is just 2. I do have some single mom friends who are in a similar situation, and we could trade childcare sleepovers— but the kids are too little. Mine still cries inconsolably when I leave and still wakes up during the night. At what age is she likely to be old enough to think a sleep over with a friend is at least somewhat fun (or at least tolerable)?

[Anonymous]

4-5 years IME. And it can be iffy at that point but do able at that age when needed.

[Anonymous]

5 or 6 with one of my kids, maybe 7 or 8 (we still aren’t there yet) with my other.

You’d need to know them VERY well (like, they’re family) if you’re a single mom and you’re away traveling though. In case one of the kids gets sick or has an accident and goes to the hospital or even there’s some other situation at the other house requiring you to be there.

[Anonymous]

My DD stayed overnight at her BFF’s at 2, when my DS was born. It was also where her nanny share was, so she was very comfortable sleeping at the house. The parents have become friends through that nanny share / our DDs being close, but it’s not like they were our BFFs or anything. DD has also stayed over at our good friends’ house since 2, where their slightly older daughters are some of her favorite people. She’s done that for our childcare needs and also just because the girls really wanted to one time post-family hangout. It definitely depends on the kid and the potential hosts, but it could theoretically be soon.

[Anonymous]

I am a nurse and was a single mom. Me and another nurse would switch overnight childcare as we both worked nights. So I would have her kids 3 days a week from 630p-730 a and she would have mine. Saved us both 1000's a year. It became routine because we did it so often. We went in on IKEA bunk beads for both our houses and set up the beds with the same bedding for each kid to kinda of make things uniform. My kids were 2,5,and 7 when we started. Hers were 2,2 and 4.5. We did it for 5 years with little problem. I am proud to say I could get all 6 kids down within 75 minutes. We were a tight machine of snack, bath, brush teeth, books, bed!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am a nurse and was a single mom. Me and another nurse would switch overnight childcare as we both worked nights. So I would have her kids 3 days a week from 630p-730 a and she would have mine. Saved us both 1000's a year. It became routine because we did it so often. We went in on IKEA bunk beads for both our houses and set up the beds with the same bedding for each kid to kinda of make things uniform. My kids were 2,5,and 7 when we started. Hers were 2,2 and 4.5. We did it for 5 years with little problem. I am proud to say I could get all 6 kids down within 75 minutes. We were a tight machine of snack, bath, brush teeth, books, bed!

Wow! Good for you! This is OP. I am considering changing jobs but your post makes me think maybe I can make this work.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am a nurse and was a single mom. Me and another nurse would switch overnight childcare as we both worked nights. So I would have her kids 3 days a week from 630p-730 a and she would have mine. Saved us both 1000's a year. It became routine because we did it so often. We went in on IKEA bunk beads for both our houses and set up the beds with the same bedding for each kid to kinda of make things uniform. My kids were 2,5,and 7 when we started. Hers were 2,2 and 4.5. We did it for 5 years with little problem. I am proud to say I could get all 6 kids down within 75 minutes. We were a tight machine of snack, bath, brush teeth, books, bed!

I love this. So happy you had a friend close enough that you could figure this out. What a great community when family can't or won't help.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am a nurse and was a single mom. Me and another nurse would switch overnight childcare as we both worked nights. So I would have her kids 3 days a week from 630p-730 a and she would have mine. Saved us both 1000's a year. It became routine because we did it so often. We went in on IKEA bunk beads for both our houses and set up the beds with the same bedding for each kid to kinda of make things uniform. My kids were 2,5,and 7 when we started. Hers were 2,2 and 4.5. We did it for 5 years with little problem. I am proud to say I could get all 6 kids down within 75 minutes. We were a tight machine of snack, bath, brush teeth, books, bed!

I love this. So happy you had a friend close enough that you could figure this out. What a great community when family can't or won't help.

+1. I loved reading this! Warms my heart!

My 3.5 year old can do sleepovers at a few friends houses and her cousins. The key is to get them very comfortable in the space. Lots of time there, and you both do sleepovers to get them used to going to bed there.

[Anonymous]

We started at 2 for necessity, 3 for fun!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am a nurse and was a single mom. Me and another nurse would switch overnight childcare as we both worked nights. So I would have her kids 3 days a week from 630p-730 a and she would have mine. Saved us both 1000's a year. It became routine because we did it so often. We went in on IKEA bunk beads for both our houses and set up the beds with the same bedding for each kid to kinda of make things uniform. My kids were 2,5,and 7 when we started. Hers were 2,2 and 4.5. We did it for 5 years with little problem. I am proud to say I could get all 6 kids down within 75 minutes. We were a tight machine of snack, bath, brush teeth, books, bed!

I love this. So happy you had a friend close enough that you could figure this out. What a great community when family can't or won't help.

+1

[Anonymous]

Don't do this