It all depends on the situation. I have 3 daughters and my eldest had her best friend that lived 2 houses down and she had her first sleep over at 4yrs.
My 2nd daughter had hers at 5 and my youngest at 3 with her best friend who lived across the road.

I wasn’t aloud sleep overs at that age.

My daughter had her first sleepover at 6 – she had a friend come to our house and she also slept at that friends house on another occasion. It’s really good for their development. I am happy so long as I have parent’s details, etc.

I’m not looking forward to my little ones doing sleep overs. I think I’ll be encouraging them to be at our house for the night. I’ll worry too much if they are away!

I have mixed feelings on this. I think it lately depends on knowing your child.
Some kids are bedwetters longer than others.
Some kids are scared of the dark etc. and some kids struggle to speak up to adults they aren’t fully comfortable with. Yet others are fine with all the above.
I am 34 and still remember my first friend sleepover (I’d had heaps with relatives). And I only remember the terror I felt as the friends dad was really grumpy and aggressive and there were no night lights and I was so scared. I cried and cried until they called my mum to come get me.
I think it’s so important to ensure your child is ready or it can scare them off sleepover for a long time, like it did me.

I’ve never heard of the term before.
I was never allowed to sleep over unless it was at my cousin’s!
My mum’s friends daughter slept over her friends house and the daughters brother ended up sexually assaulting her so I’m with the mum and would be cautious as well.
Plus, I don’t think my husband would be too keen on the idea either.

Never heard of this term before, but it doesn’t hurt to be worried

Each to their own. My son is 7 and has only ever been to one sleepover

All of the post’s comments are relevant to each family. Only this Mum can decide what she’s comfortable with for her child, and only she knows what her child will be comfortable with. I’d suggest getting to know the child/family more before sending her own child there at such a young age. Go with your gut, I say.

Ahh hell no. 7 is wayyy too young.

I never did sleep overs when I was a child, and funnily my son never wanted to go for a sleep over, likes his own bed too much I think. If your child really wants to then it would be appropriate to get to know the family first by going to visit the home not just meeting for a coffee, you need to get a feel for the family vibe and house and spend some time with your child there and see how they feel. I think people are not realizing that a young child cannot make decisions for themselves and that is why we need to parent correctly, it is not helicopter parenting at all, it is being sensible.

Each child is different so it depends I wouldn’t do it till around 10

my older kids started sleep overs with people we knew, my younger ones are still a bit too young, my 5 year old is asking for sleep overs all the time

The first time I let my 8 year old sleep over at her friends 3 doors down was all it took to turn our lives into a living hell. If you knew the nightmare we are going through, you’d keep your kids home, safe

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  • • deb_gs replied
    • 31 May 2019 , 8:57 pm

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  You never know who is going to be sleeping over and what people are really like. This comment is terrifying because something did happen. Children are vulnerable at sleepovers because unless they live very close by, they have no way to leave if something bad happens.

As parents why must we always judge others on the parenting views??
My children have only ever stayed with family, but they are getting older, we are starting to have sleepovers at friends/our place.

I don’t think you can be guided by guilt here. If you’re not comfortable then don’t allow your child to sleep over. I was only allowed to sleep over at 3 kid’s houses growing up – the default answer was no whenever I asked to sleep over at someone elses house. I didn’t grow up damaged – it was just our rules. Everyone will have different house rules.

Each to their own, I think you have to do what you feel comfortable with

I don’t let my 11yo have a sleepover. It’s up to a parent to decide what’s right for them and what’s not. It’s no one else’s business.

7 is a little too young in my mind unless everyone is very close friends.

You need to befriend the parents of your your children’s friends. That will set your mind at ease. And be guided by your child. If they’re comfortable with it, you should try to be too.