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Secondary education

Connect with other parents whose children are starting secondary school on this forum.

Yr 7 sleepover with strangers

50 replies

HSMM · 28/11/2010 07:56

My dd has made a new best friend at secondary school. She invited her for a sleepover this Friday night . The girl's mum said her dd wanted to go to her old school Christmas fair on Saturday, so my dd could go to them and they can all go to the fair. My dd is all for it. I am nervous , because I don't know the parents. My dh is furious and acting as if I am sending her into drug/sex hell. Should I let her go? I think I should.

OP posts:
bellavita · 28/11/2010 08:15

Oh ffs Grin of course you should let get go. What on earth is going to happen to her?

Just give the other parents a ring, introduce yourself, leave your phone number with them, ask what time you need to pick her up.

grapeandlemon · 28/11/2010 08:15

It is so hard and I don't have DC this age but I remember begging my Mum to do this when I was young and her saying no and I really missed out on so much fun. I was always the one who wasn't allowed and if I was it was after a huge row.

Have you met the family at all?

QOD · 28/11/2010 08:43

I worried about this, but my dd won't DO sleep overs and therefore misses out on loads of friendship "bits" - so now I worry about that instead.....
I second the ringing up and introducing, and insist on actually delivering her there after school yourself so you can physically see them and were they are. ALso, mobile phone for dd so you can keep in touch.

larry5 · 28/11/2010 08:49

Try looking at it the other way round. You were prepared to have dds friend over without meeting her parents but instead dd wants to go to her friend. I think you need to communicate with the parents. Someone has to be the first.

maryz · 28/11/2010 09:16

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

LaydeeC · 28/11/2010 12:28

yes, of course you must let her. My dd is new Yr7 and it is all very exciting for her meeting new friends, going to their houses and she has also had a sleepover.
As above, give her a mobile phone so that they can call you. Ring/meet the parents etc.
In reverse, if my dd wants someone to stay here, I call them and introduce myself etc. Of course, there is always a very real worry in back of your mind but I also don't want her to miss out and making friends is an important part of school life.

sue52 · 28/11/2010 12:49

It's an invite to a primary school Christmas fair not a day trip to Soddom and Gomorrah. Let her go and tell your DH to calm down.

Merle · 28/11/2010 13:02

Actually I think this is a very gray area.

When I had sleepovers at age 11/12 it was with children who I had been to primary school with. My parents had known them for years/been to the same church/social club.

Just because a person has a child the same age as yours, doesn't mean they are 'ok'. They are a stranger, really, so it is a risk you take.

I think it is a lot different from, say, age 14-15. Children of age 11/12 are a lot more vulnerable; they are not necessarily equipped to deal with tricky situations which could arise in someone else's house during the night.

maryz · 28/11/2010 13:24

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

seeker · 28/11/2010 14:09

"tricky situations which could arise in someone else's house during the night."

Sent her with a tinfoil helmet to deflet alien abduction and she'll be fine.

What ^sort of "tricky situations", ffs?

Goblinchild · 28/11/2010 14:29

Let her take a phone, if things go wrong, she can ring you. The majority of Y7 are probably from homes rather like your own.
Your DH is going to need to save his apoplectic rage for when she's a teenager. Then things really liven up. Grin

Decorhate · 28/11/2010 14:39

I think it is more normal to make contact with the other child's parents than not tbh. DD had a sleepover party in Y7. I had either met the other parents at school events or they made a point of phoning me up beforehand (to check me out, no doubt), apart from one set of parents. They didn't phone me beforehand, their dd came to my house straight from school and they wanted her to meet them in town the next day. I thought that was irresponsible tbh...

My dd is always told that she is to phone us if she feels uncomfortable at someone else's house, no matter how late.

Talkinpeace · 28/11/2010 15:58

DD went riding with a friend in the forest for the day
various pointers flagged up that I should check
so I said yes
but we turned up with a box of home made biccies and the girls went out while Mum and I introduced ourselves over a coffee.
Diddly squat in common other than our daughters' welfare.
Excellent.
DD can go any time. I don't have to.

How many of your friends parents are your parents friends with?
Helicopter parents = ferked up kids
They have to rebel. We have to be seen to allow them to.

Generally at secondary, I ask for surname, home address, mums mobile and then leave it to to them.
If there was a humungous problem, school have all the right phone numbers.

earwicga · 28/11/2010 16:01

A couple of years ago I would have said you were being ridiculous. That was until my sister told me about the father of one of her friends that she went to sleepovers at. She even went on holiday to Spain with them. Fine upstanding people. After this I can't see a way that I will allow my children to go to any sleepovers with men in the house.

earwicga · 28/11/2010 16:02

I think your husband is being ridiculous actually.

MmeBlueberry · 28/11/2010 16:13

I would want to know where my DD was spending the night. And I am a very hands-off parent.

lifeinagoldfishbowl · 28/11/2010 16:21

I don't see the issue

  1. you were more than happy to have a child sleepover at yours without meeting the parents first

  2. She is staying with a friend - not a stranger - unlike the exchange programme that may do next year.

  3. The children are going straight from school to the friends house and then out with the parents in the morning to a primary school fayre.

  4. When I was that age I often spent weekends at a friends house (we went to a boarding school) and I don't think my mum had any idea who my friends mother was the first few times I stayed there.

Just give the mum a call and confirm that your daughter would love to go, then speak to your daughter and say that if she wants to come home at any time then just to text you, then pour yourself a glass of wine and be glad that you didn't make a big fuss out of what is only a sleepover at a friends house.

Talkinpeace · 28/11/2010 16:22

Hear hear

Goblinchild · 28/11/2010 17:29

'I would want to know where my DD was spending the night. And I am a very hands-off parent.'

Presumably the OP will have asked for the address. Confused
Or do you mean that you'd want to have an inspection?

MmeBlueberry · 28/11/2010 17:45

I would want to know the address and phone number, and have either met the parents, or know someone who knew them.

I don't really see the problem in gathering this information.

Merle · 28/11/2010 18:05

Oh, adults who are drunk/drug users/child abusers etc. Nothing serious, obviously; just send 11 year-olds to stay with complete strangers and don't make a fuss.

Goblinchild · 28/11/2010 18:20

So, that's a vote for your DH then.

Talkinpeace · 28/11/2010 18:43

When I was 15 I had a badge that read
"we are the people our parents warned us about"
the photo of my mum wearing that badge is among my MOST treasured possessions

lifeinagoldfishbowl · 28/11/2010 18:52

FGS - not everybody want's to abduct and abuse your child whilst high on drink and drugs which is usually the mumsnet thoughts on anything from sleepovers, the next door neighbour saying hello, or an old man offering a child a shiny 50p at the shop.

Yes stuff like that does happen - but why do we assume that if their is a husband in the house at a sleepover that things are going to happen - can you imagine if someone turned to you and said my dd can't come for tea at yours as your husband will be there!

It is a sad world where we don't allow our children the opportunity to go to a sleepover at a school friends house, just because.

Yes speak to the mum on the phone to confirm that your daughter is going, and have a chat with her about the girls, what they might do on the friday night maybe mention what your daughter likes to eat and discuss coming to collect her if there are any problems. Speak to your daughter and tell her she can text/call you.

OR

Sit your child down and say there is a 0.0000000001% chance that you may be abducted/abused/hurt/upset whilst you are there, so you're not going, I also think there is a 0.000001% chance that the same could happen at cub scouts, at your aunts house, on the way to the shop, at school so you won't be going there, to be honest there is a 0.0000001% chance of it happening outside this house, so maybe you're better of staying in the house forver and actually by the consensus of mnet that there is a man in the house there is a 0.00001% chance of you being harmed in this house too, so maybe it's best that I attach you with handcuffs to me forever and don't let you out of my sight.

Yes she is 11 and you still see her as your baby, but she is 11 and wants/needs to be able to learn/put into practise the social skills gained at sleepovers and whilst with her peers outside of school.

piscesmoon · 28/11/2010 19:11

All that is important is 'does she want to go and is she happy about it'.
You are really holding her back if you are going to be so controlling. Surely she could get in touch with you if she wasn't happy? What on earth does DH think will happen on a sleepover with a school friend?!