Anonymous wrote:From France, my mother used to say that "sleepovers were for Americans and poor people"

Snort- that's the best quip so far. Awesome.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We're middle eastern and growing up here my cousins and I weren't allowed to ever have any sleepovers with anyone who wasn't a relative.

Most children are abused by relatives so how did this protect you?

Maybe the policy isn't driven by fear of molestation, rather by something else, such as customs and manners?

Anonymous wrote:From France, my mother used to say that "sleepovers were for Americans and poor people"

Huh?

White American here from the East Coast. Born in '86. Sleepovers were very popular when I was growing up, especially for birthday parties. I hosted a majority of the sleepovers only because we had a great house for it and my mom loved to put together things for a sleepover. Have a brother who is a year/grade older than me and 9 times out of 10, my mom would arrange for him to go to a friend's house for a sleepover since she figured he'd be miserable with a house full of giggling girls. There were a few times he had a sleepover as well, but the nature of my town meant that pretty much all my friends' parents knew my brother's friends and their parents.

I will say my mom was a bit strict about my going to someone's house to sleepover. She allowed it but always spoke to the parents before hand (especially in junior high) and there were def. times I wasn't allowed to go because she didn't like something or other going on at the house.

Anonymous wrote:I wouldn't mention Catholic on this board. The minority in this area. Either that, or the most "permissible" to slam. Not cool. Just don't mention it. There is nothing PC about being Catholic. It is code for whipping post in these parts.

Totally off topic to the post and unnecessary. Go away, troll,

I wouldn't mention Catholic on this board. The minority in this area. Either that, or the most "permissible" to slam. Not cool. Just don't mention it. There is nothing PC about being Catholic. It is code for whipping post in these parts.

Anonymous wrote:We're middle eastern and growing up here my cousins and I weren't allowed to ever have any sleepovers with anyone who wasn't a relative.

Most children are abused by relatives so how did this protect you?

Catholic American, we all did sleepovers almost every single weekend. Most bday parties ended with at least a few kids sleeping over.
When my brother and I both had sleepovers we all had a blast (good clean fun, nothing creepy).
My ds hates them though, just his personality I guess. Now he is 8 and I have to come up with excuses for him all the time so his friends don't think he is odd. I think my younger ds will like them, but we definetly know some parents that we will politely decline

Anonymous wrote:American. I grew up Catholic and went to Catholic schools from K-12. Yes, sleepovers were pretty much the norm. I don't recall anyone from my schools not being allowed to participate. And they were so much fun!

I agree with PP that, statistically speaking, a child is more likely to be molested by a relative.

I grew up Catholic and Catholic schools k-12, as well. Sleepovers were absolutely the norm. That said, I think my mom let me go to sleepovers way too young with families that she did not know well enough. I actually was fondled by a high school aged brother of a friend at a sleepover in the second grade. I didn't even know this girl had a high school aged brother and I'm quite certain my parents didn't either. I never said anything. But, I didn't do anymore sleepovers with that family.

My daughter does do sleep overs but with family or friends that are like family.

All of that being said, it's still never a guarantee. Our above rule is no guarantee. I also had an uncle who -while he never molested me- was very, very inappropriate. The only answer is to be on guard all the time, ask questions, and make sure your kids are educated as to the dangers.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Faithful Catholics, no. Not in our circles.

Um, what? This may not have to do with the religion. I was raised by a very devout Catholic family and we did sleepovers all the time. All my Catholic friends were allowed to as well.) suburban NYC in the 80s.

Same here. My family (of 8 kids) was about as Catholic as you could get, and I went to sleepovers all the time as a kid. We also used to host a lot, since we had a lot of bunk beds. I'm not aware of anything in the Catholic religion that would prohibit a sleepover!

Maybe PP is saying not in her circles because the Church has a problem history with child molestation.

I grew up in South America and had many sleep overs and so did my siblings. It was usually one friend coming over or I would be invited over and sonetimes 3 or more kids and we called it a "pajama party". Used to love them!
My kids have been to a few at their best friend's houses. I must be very naive because the thought of anything bad happening to them has never crossed my mind.

I loved sleepovers as a child and both of my kids love them as well. This is also a fun thing for birthdays - they get to have 2 or 3 friends spend the night (slumber party) in leiu of a big class birthday party.

African American military brat here, yes very normal!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:British Canadian- no. 'You have a bed', my mother used to tell me.

This is priceless. Love it.

this brings back memories...immigrants from the former Soviet Union-the first time I asked my dad to go to a sleepover he was so offended-kept asking what was wrong with my own bed...he eventually allowed my friend to sleep at OUR house

Anonymous wrote:Italian - and hell no! My mom used to say "you have a house and a bed, yuo dont sleep at other people's homes".
Was allowed to stay with cousins every once in a while, and even then it was like pulling teeth.

Italian here too and this was me as well. I probably slept at my cousins about 8 times total. But we used to sleep at my grandma's house once a year (10 cousins), all in the living room.