Anonymous wrote:
and get ready for sleepover camp, which does, as a PP said, start at 8. Can't wait, but more importantly, neither can DD!

This too. My nearly 5 year old cannot wait until she is old enough to go to sleepaway camp. We read some book about it at some point then she asked us if we'd ever gone and we showed her old photo albums from our summer camps and she's really excited about the idea.

Anonymous wrote:My daughter had her first sleepover at four with family friends. She had her first sleepover with school friends in first grade, so at age six.

I think you're being crazy.

This could be me (or, maybe my wife? Hi, honey!)

My son started 2 weeks of sleep away camp in 6th grade, so 11. So yes, I think 8 is old enough for a sleepover and 12 is too old to wait.

I have multiple friends that don't believe in sleepovers as a rule. They pick up at 10 and drop off again in the am if we are going to the pool or doing something, meaning it was a little more than just a sleep over.

14:15 you are citing a grandparent relationship, and a unique relationship (family like) for sleepovers. The theme of this thread is for sleepovers with non-family members and normally school friends.

Most people do not have prior relationships with the parents of their child's school friends.

Agree with all the votes for 5 as the right age, at least for us. (DD, now 5.5, has done sleepovers since 3 with cousins.) It's true that few of her friends expect or ask to sleep over, and I'm sure there's a range of kids' comfort with sleeping away from home, but I'm surprised by how much less common it is than it was when I was a kid.

Waiting until adolescence does really strike me as depriving them of a chance to bond closely with friends, learn key elements of independence (will you choose to brush your teeth? how will you eat when given options? will you go to sleep at a decent hour?), and get ready for sleepover camp, which does, as a PP said, start at 8. Can't wait, but more importantly, neither can DD!

DD went to her first sleep over a 3.5. No issues. It was at a friends house.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Some people in this area will do anything to not have to parent their kids.

what does this even mean? letting your kids go to sleepovers occasionally means you aren't parenting them?

Yes, sending a 5 year old out overnight is more about the parent. I don't know any 5 year old who does not want to be home with their parents at bedtime.

My at the time 3 year old begged us to leave her at her grandparents' house. She was always disappointed that we were staying.

She and her little best friend have been asking to sleep over since they were about that age. They are almost 5 now and we have hosted her friend twice and she's gone to their house once. I've worked with the parents since before either of us had kids, the girls went to the same daycare for years and play all the time. It's gone fine and the kids are delighted. They get to stay up a little late, have ice cream sundaes and giggle as they fall asleep.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't understand why you wouldn't want to help your kids grow into capable independent adults. Sleepovers are great way to start. Let it be with a family that you know, or have friends in common and that your kid is comfortable with and let go!

Because they could be molested... that is the concern.

They could be molested, or just exposed to situations that you do not want them exposed to at a young age. There is a big difference between age 5 and age 10 for sleepovers. A 5 year old is not going to know how to navigate a problem. A 10 + year old will be better suited to manage a problem. Some people don't want to acknowledge that for some reason???

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't understand why you wouldn't want to help your kids grow into capable independent adults. Sleepovers are great way to start. Let it be with a family that you know, or have friends in common and that your kid is comfortable with and let go!

Because they could be molested... that is the concern.

She asked a stupid rhetorical question. She couldn't understand the reason. really? Even if she doesn't agree with those parents, how is it that hard to understand. And you can eye roll all you want but it DOES happen and more than people are willing to admit.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Some people in this area will do anything to not have to parent their kids.

what does this even mean? letting your kids go to sleepovers occasionally means you aren't parenting them?

Yes, sending a 5 year old out overnight is more about the parent. I don't know any 5 year old who does not want to be home with their parents at bedtime.

How many 5 year olds do you know? Probably not any that actually live in DC.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Some people in this area will do anything to not have to parent their kids.

what does this even mean? letting your kids go to sleepovers occasionally means you aren't parenting them?

Yes, sending a 5 year old out overnight is more about the parent. I don't know any 5 year old who does not want to be home with their parents at bedtime.

My niece begs to come spend the night at my house. She just turned 5. Do you actually have a 5 year old? Does he/she have any friends?

Your niece, not some friend from school's home. Big difference. Do you have kids?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't understand why you wouldn't want to help your kids grow into capable independent adults. Sleepovers are great way to start. Let it be with a family that you know, or have friends in common and that your kid is comfortable with and let go!

Because they could be molested... that is the concern.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Some people in this area will do anything to not have to parent their kids.

what does this even mean? letting your kids go to sleepovers occasionally means you aren't parenting them?

Yes, sending a 5 year old out overnight is more about the parent. I don't know any 5 year old who does not want to be home with their parents at bedtime.

My niece begs to come spend the night at my house. She just turned 5. Do you actually have a 5 year old? Does he/she have any friends?

Anonymous wrote:I don't understand why you wouldn't want to help your kids grow into capable independent adults. Sleepovers are great way to start. Let it be with a family that you know, or have friends in common and that your kid is comfortable with and let go!

Because they could be molested... that is the concern.

I don't understand why you wouldn't want to help your kids grow into capable independent adults. Sleepovers are great way to start. Let it be with a family that you know, or have friends in common and that your kid is comfortable with and let go!