Kids sleepovers

[parentinghacks]

Aibu to wonder at what age your child first started hosting/going to sleepovers?

Following, my 6yo Dd is giving me a lot of grief! I think she's too young. She would wake up crying in the night.

Not before secondary school here...
Any younger is childcare and Hell on earth..
My dc have never complained either!?

About six/seven but they had both stayed overnight at relatives houses since they were tiny.

Proper sleepovers with friends from about 8. Sleepovers with cousins from about 4.

If child sleeps well and doesn't often need comforted at bedtime I would let them try it.

I hate the idea of them - dreading being asked! I think I was about 9 when I started staring at my best friend’s house, and maybe 11 when it became a ‘thing’ we did for parties etc.

I quite liked them as a kid myself but only some of them. On one memorable occasion the mum of the girl hosting the sleepover was almost in tears at about 9.30pm because we weren’t asleep (we were 12) another time someone invited the class bully who was horrible to most of the other girls, and another time someone was unwell and was throwing up everywhere - we all got soaked in sick and had to be collected in the middle of the night!

*staying at my best friend’s house obviously, not staring 👀

7 or 8 maybe? I would want to know a child pretty well to have them overnight before then.

We've never hosted. DC1 had just been to their first (age 10) before Covid came along and I'm not keen to have guests in the house nor stay in others' houses at the moment as a close relative that we provide care for is ECV.

Too young and you run the risk of having to deal with upset children in the night, early wakings, possible toilet accidents etc. That's fine if the children are very close to your family but I wasn't happy with the idea of my upset young c

Oops posted too soon..

If my child was upset at a sleepover, they (and I) would feel a bit uncomfortable having them comforted during the night by a mum we didn't really know. So we waited until they were older.

It's absolutely their favourite thing to do.

About 7/8 and we always hosted pretty much same with play dates.

It was aged 5 or 6 here, for a birthday. 3 extra kids, I didn't do it again for ages!!! I learned the hard way! Now it's 1 extra at a time and at a certain time of the night I put them in separate bedrooms so they get some sleep. I have just been talking about the next one and think I will leave them to it in the same room from now. In the room that's miles away from mine!!!😂

We made a rule when older dds were small of no sleepovers until 8, mainly because there's too much "looking after" involved if the visiting dc are any younger. At least by 8 they will go upstairs or outside and play for long periods.

Youngest ds is now 9 and never hosted or been on a sleepover, due to covid, and I'm not encouraging it tbh, 9yr old boys are a pita

Dd has had a couple, mainly with the kids of close friends rather than school friends though. Started when she was 6

No sleep is a given but dd is a crap sleeper so it's not hugely different to be honest. Due to a chronic condition she tends not to stay with others which is mostly due to my paranoia over keeping her safe and well. Because I choose not to let her go I can't really complain about always hosting.

6/7 ish.

I think I’m probably in the minority but really don’t see it happening here during primary school outside of family and family friends.

I’m quite surprised at the lateness of these answers - dd started at 4, and now at 6 has had at least 4 friend sleepovers (both hosting and away), some more than once. No problems with any of the kids, just a general lack of sleep all round.

6/7 for my eldest, youngest is 8 and still haven’t - totally different personalities, youngest much more immature

I had a pseudo sleepover for my daughter”s ninth birthday. They all came in their pyjamas, games, food, toenails painted etc. then movie and took them all home at 10pm. Most of them asked for some milk and then fell asleep during the movie, it was sweet.

With close family friends 5/6 or before... with school friends it has been 9 - mainly due to Covid reducing opportunity really.

DD1 (9) recently started having them with school friends.