To think that 3 is a bit young for sleepovers?

[dorawannabe]

Am I just being neurotic or is this just too young for a sleepover? DD has never slept away from me and dh and I just think she's too young. But apparently her little friends do it (this info from another parent - not dd). What age did yours start?

I mean the will to live is lost by many aspects of parenting my children (getting ready for school, nit combing, laundry, breaking up fights), but not particularly the sleepovers.

yes, chattering is nice

mine now play together after, erm, 3 years

they only ever stay with inlaws though, never anywhere else

my friends all have 4 children, they have enough to do

People with more children are better, IME, at taking on extras. My friend with one will have all 3 of mine overnight, but she looks worn out after it. Another friend with 3 including one blind child and a lively baby will happily have my 3 plus my neice all at once, cos she's used to the chaos.

My DD just ad her first 'sleepover' for her bday (It wasn't even a sleepover for the sake of sleepover,we took DD and her friend, plus some family to pizza hut and by the time we got home it was going to be easier if her friend just stayed over, so she did). She was 7 and until then it hadn't ever really been mentioned, I know quite a few of the girls in her class do it, but it's only one friend staying at another friends house, and normally after quite a few playdates.

But olive your ILs are nice and handily located. Mine stay at my ILs occasionally but it is more of an effort whereas I have a friend locally who has DS and DD same age as mine and so we occasionally do swaps or help each other out.

Yes, we have two duff sets of grandparents. They either don't want my children staying or wouldn't look after them properly.

My friends are much nicer than my family, and more responsible about looking after a small child.

I'm confused Oliveoil, you say I'm being a tad neurotic if it's at a friend's house but then say you only let your dcs sleep at your ILs?

well if you read my further posts I say they only stay with inlaws as my friends are mad and have 4 children each

and are therefore overrun

they do not want nor need my extra 2

Ds is eight and has never slept over at a friend's yet, although he has had one to stay. He has been away from home on school journey and his best friend's house is a half-demolished shack at the mo so it's logistics not neuroticism on our part. He was seven when he had his sleepover guest and that seems to be the norm for staying with a friend round here (Beavers don't do overnight camps, that starts with Cubs etc)
I think three is too young unless it is with, eg your CM, godparents, close friends...and started in babyhood - ie so it's a familiar bedtime setting. Three is not a good age to start this for the first time IMO.

DD went to stay with my parents not long after she turned three (VERY shortly after they moved house to be closer to us, but not before they'd had her for the day with chicken pox, I think the removal van was just driving away when that happened ...) She's not been to stay at a friend's house yet. I have maybe three friends who I would happily let her stay with, although only one (I think) would be likely to offer! Our girls are both only children, and are somewhat quasi-siblings, right down to the horrendous squabbling.

Oh marina we started at that age with both our children.

I bet yours are much better behaved at bedtime though bozza

They are actually very good at bedtime. We do have to write off the day after sleepovers though.

DD (8) hasn't had a sleepover yet. Mind you she was using pullups till this summer and still has an occasional accident so that may be why she's not keen. The subject came up during a playdate last week with a girl who's recently moved to the school and evidently has been used to more of a sleepover culture than DDs crowd... DD said well she wouldn't mind sleeping at E's house but G's would be scary as it was too big (it does have 2 staircases and 3 floors).

DD (4) has been sleeping at grandparents houses regularly since she was 2, and at friends houses since 3.

IMO its a Good Thing for them to get used to spending the night in different places. I remember when about 12 (was used to sleeping away from home from a young age) I had a friend to stay over who cried and had to be fetched by her mum at midnight - I was not impressed at the time.