7 year old doesn’t want to have sleepovers

[Annoyedandirritated]

What age were your kids when they started sleepovers? My nearly 8 year old point blank doesn’t want to either attend or have any at ours. She’s missing out on friendships forming though in an already small group of 4 girls in her class. (Tiny class). Should I encourage her to try it or just leave it another year or so?

Mine never liked them, but it doesn’t seem to have hurt their friendships.

Older DS has a friend who like the idea of sleeping over here, but then used to change his mind about a half hour after lights out. Must have ran him home a dozen times. Never a problem.

Younger DS thought he might like sleepovers “when older”. Went for his first one at age 11, and was appalled that they weren’t actually sent to bed. The parents went to bed and left the kids in the living room with movies on. They were apparently just expected to sleep wherever they crashed out. Got a phone call from him to pick him up at 6am and he hasn’t wanted to go on another one since.

DSD 7 stayed at her best friends for the first time in the summer. She came home sooooo tired and asked next time could friend stay at ours as she doesn't sleep and the mum just kept trying to give her Diet Coke or lemonade over juice or water. Anyway, friend stayed twice now since school restarted. First time horrendous as neither slept and I was the worst adult because I said no to fizzy drinks at 8PM but second time both understood house rule, boundaries and actually really enjoyed themselves to the point friend asked to stay extra & go to school from ours.

I was wary at first but put it down to her having experiences and now know she'd rather friends sleep at home than go to her friends.

Let her be herself