4 Questions to Ask Before You RSVP Yes to a Sleepover

Written by: Abby Watts - Family First

Isucked my thumb until I was 11. I didn’t do it in public, just at home while watching TV and falling asleep. To the parent whose child won’t quit the thumb, here’s a word that will give you some peace: I never needed braces. Maybe the thumb-sucking moved my teeth into place! But one thing that did make me wish I wasn’t a thumb-sucker was sleepovers.

I’d always try to sleep at the end of the row of girls so I could lay on my side and go undetected. I would be mortified if my friends saw me. I don’t remember it ever being a question of whether or not I’d go to a sleepover though. We’d just always RSVP “yes.” But today, wise parents give sleepovers a little more thought.

Here are 4 questions to ask yourself before you roll up the bag and send your child to sleep at someone else’s house. 1

Am I comfortable asking the other parents important questions?

I remember planning to have friends over when I was 12 and hearing my mom talk to another mom on the alcohol around and if so, where we kept it. My mom was caught off guard but not offended. If it meant the other family was comfortable letting their daughter stay over, she was happy to answer any questions. find out that an older brother or sister will be there, it’s time to talk to your child about what boundaries to set. This is especially true of a house where your child spends the night frequently. No bathroom sharing, no going into the sibling’s room, and no closed doors.

3Will they have access to unfiltered internet?

When discussing my curfew, my mom always said, “Nothing good happens after 11 p.m.” Navigating the roads and hanging out wasn’t as safe at that late hour. The same is true for kids navigating and hanging out on the internet. When kids are at a sleepover and the late hours start creeping in, they get curious and daring.

older siblings be around?

You can’t know everything there is to know about your kids’ friends’ homes, so before you say yes to sleepovers, you should make sure you’re comfortable asking those awkward questions. Will alcohol be accessible? Are there guns in the house? Will you be around? And if you have a very long list of questions, it might be a sign you don’t know the family well enough. 2Will

This is a big one. As many as 40% of children who are sexually abused are abused by older or more powerful children. Older siblings look like heroes to young kids. They want to be like them and have their approval. If you

I remember being at a sleepover and having a girl show me a magazine she found in her brother’s room. We didn’t look at it, only saw the stack under the bed. But today, kids have their phones in their hands nonstop, and when the sun goes down and parents go to sleep, the temptation is just too great. It’s not unreasonable to request zero internet access if the parents aren’t in the room.