this strikes a cord but from a different point of view. My DS is very popular at school, and recently the mum of a girl who was interested in him called me to say she was having a sleepover for her birthday and wanted Shay to stay over.
I am no fuddy duddy, but was shocked that the mum was so blase about teenage boys and girls all sleeping together without parental supervision. As much as every parent wants to believe that their child has been raised properly, I think peer pressure is an amazing coercion. And certainly, boy or girl, the consequences are far reaching.
I didn't let my son stay over, much to his embarrasment. But explained that he has many years of acting like a grown up, he doesn't need to start at 13.
And while I'm sure my kids may get into things that I don't know about, I try to be open with them and hope for the best. More importantly, I try to treat them with consistency and cannot see how sanctioning boy/girl sleepovers teaches them anything except that it's okay for you to go ahead and do whatever you feel like, coz your parents think it's okay too. My kids have had it drummed into their heads from puberty that I won't get in their faces when they finally decide to have sex, but I hope that it is a considered decision and not one done because their frineds pushed them into it, because - and they know this part by heart - there are worse things than pregnancy for a teenager.
Climbing of the :soapbox: now, but wanted you to know I completely agree with you.
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