thread: School friends and sleep overs

  1. #1
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    Oct 2007
    Eastern Wheatbelt WA
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    School friends and sleep overs

    At what age would you let your child sleep over at a friends house and what day would you prefer and why?

  2. #2
    Registered User

    Jun 2005
    Perth
    1,454

    Other then family members and very close family friends our children have not yet had "School" friend sleepovers. They are 8 and 5.5.

    It is starting to become an "issue" with DD as she claims everyone in class is allowed sleepovers. But when I have questioned the parents myself it turns out that out of a class of 30 only perhaps 6-8 are allowed sleepovers. They are all aged 8 or 9.

    We have told DD that she may have a sleepover by the end of this year but it is only with 1 or 2 particular families and even the next few years I doubt until she is around 11 or 12 will she be able to have regular sleepovers.

    DS is in year 1 and he will not be having sleepovers till at least 8 or 9 either under the same conditions as DD.

    Oh and daywise it would be a weekend so they could have maximum playtime the next morning.

  3. #3
    2014 BellyBelly RAK Recipient.

    Mar 2010
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    we started sleepovers late last year when my daughter was 9.5 she was allowed to only have them in the holidays, which is still the same this year. She is 10 already. Last year when she was asked, we would say to the parents she can't sleep over but can she come for a play and pick up after dinner. This was enough freedom for her, and then added the sleepover in holidays. Since then parents in our class who were allowing sleepovers have reverted back to holidays only and dinner and a play. It takes alot out of a child to have a sleepover and there isn't much time to recover before going back to school.

  4. #4
    Registered User

    Dec 2007
    Geelong
    3,438

    DD went on her first sleepover last year when she was 9 and we do them on Saturdays.

    Regards,
    Dianne

  5. #5
    Registered User

    Dec 2005
    In Bankworld with Barbara
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    We only do them on Friday or Saturday nights, unless it is the school holidays. DS1 is the only one who has had a sleepover at a friends house, but DD1 has had a friend stay here - they were 8. DS1 would have been 9 before he had a sleepover. We don't do it a lot because we're out of town and sometimes it just ends up being too hard.

  6. #6
    Moderator

    Oct 2004
    In my Zombie proof fortress.
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    Depends on whether I know the parents. DD1 is almost 7 and I would happily let her sleepover at a couple of school friends houses if she was invited. I know and trust some of the parents and have been to their homes. There would be others though, that I would say no to.

    Saturday would be my preferred night, I would consider midweek depending on the circumstances.

  7. #7
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    Thanks

    DS1 is only 5, but we live in a very small community (there's only 15 kids in the entire school K-7) where everyone knows everyone (unfortunately sometimes lol) and I was thinking about asking one of his friends (who is grade one) parents if we could have him over for a night. I was thinking we could do it on a Monday or Wednesday because then there is no issue about transport (school bus) or dragging bags/pillow, etc to school (a different school on Tues and Thurs so bus would bring them out here the night and then in morning take them to the other school whilst in the afternoon taking the other boys bags etc home when they drop DS off)

    I just didn't want to ask and then get this horrified look because they are so young lol, I have no idea about this sort of thing.

  8. #8
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    Jun 2005
    USA
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    I had sleep overs when I was 5.

  9. #9
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    Jan 2006
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    I had sleepovers very young, I remember some about 4ish. But that was my parents out for the night at friends' house, they had children our age, we just all got put to bed together, the parents got drunk, staggered home/went to bed and the children woke up and went home in the morning.

    I have allowed Liebs to have his bestie over one night in the hols now, he is 5. But only that one child. And not again until he is a LOT older after that one night! NightMARE more like. Because his bestie's mother needed childcare the next day from about 6.30-7am ish and Liebs wanted his bestie round to visit, so I offered a sleepover. I'm sure I would take the same chance if I needed it. I wouldn't do a school weekend as if the children didn't sleep there isn't enough recovery time, IMO, for school on Monday.

  10. #10
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    My dd has sleepovers and has been for a little while. She is 3.5. For her third birthday we had two girls from childcare stay here. But I got to know the parents first, I organized days out and they were always at each others birthdays and now we are good friends - so maybe it's a little different?!?


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  11. #11
    2012 BellyBelly RAK Recipient.
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    I had sleepovers quite young, around 5. Generally we would have them on Saturday or a Friday. That being said when my parents went away once i. stayed at a friends place for 6 nights and i was around 7 or 8?

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  12. #12

    Lachlan is 7 and has sleep overs. I prefer the Friday night, cause if they have a late night with talking and then an early morning start, they have the Sunday to recover.

  13. #13
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    DD1 is 4.5 and we have good friends a few houses up the road so we're getting close to the idea of a sleepover. I have no doubt DD1 would be fine, I'm not sure we could reciprocate until our friends' DS is older as he's not such a great sleeper. In the meantime, we're thinking of putting up a tent in the backyard and the dads can sleep with the kids for a night and then we can all have a bacon and egg breakfast in the morning. I think the kids would have great fun.

    For me, the age is irrelevant, it's how well we and DD1 know the parents.

  14. #14
    BellyBelly Member

    Feb 2007
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    I agree with Fionas - more to do with how well I know the family and how well DS knows the parents - would he be comforted by them if he woke in the night.
    I have had a friebnds daughter (DS1s v close friend) over to stay about 3 times - started just before they turned 4. we are all good friends thouggh and the kids know us all well. we have some other friends we would also do this with. works best for us with 'family friends'.
    in terms of friends from school/kinder where I dont have a relationship with the parents - def a while off.