MomWise

A very wise mom shared some Mom Wisdom with me and it applies more often than I would like to admit. Here goes: "There is nothing more humbling than children."

Tuesday, April 25, 2006

Sleepovers for Kindergartners???

Ok so a mother of one of the kids in Gymnast's class called me yesterday and invited Gymnast for a sleepover this weekend. I have had her daughter over to play at our house one time. I met the mom at a birthday party at the beginning of the school year and have talked to her at several events now. I have never met her husband nor has Gymnast ever been to their house. They do live in our neighborhood. I know they have 3 kids and the Kindergartner is the oldest.

The mom told me that I could come over and meet her husband and stuff when I drop Gymnast off. I was fairly noncommittal on the phone with her. I told her that I did not even know if Gymnast would want to do this and even if she did I could not guarantee that a middle of the night freak out would not happen.

The mom finally told me to think about it and discuss it with hubby and Gymnast and she would call around Thursday. I tell her that some of the girls at school are getting upset with one another by talking about things they are going to do in front of someone who is not included. If you have girls or know a woman you know what I am talking about. I had no idea this started in kindergarten! The mom says she will talk to her daughter about that.

So I pick Gymnast up from school and she is all telling me that she is invited for a sleepover this weekend and she is going. Uhhggg! I asked her if she talked about it in front of her other friends. She lists off about six. Hubby and I still have not decided if we are letting her do this.

So when do you let them start going on sleepovers? She definitely wants to do this.

Why don't they come with instructions?

6 Comments:

  • At 1:26 PM, Blogger Paige said…

    I don't have children, but I think I would be a little hesitant of that situation. ESPECIALLY if I didn't know the parents very well. I don't know though, because children, especially little girls, need their sleepovers. I remember all of my sleepovers. I guess just talk to your daughter. You know better than anyone what she could handle and what she couldn't.

     
  • At 2:00 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    I have two girls, seven and ten, and my oldest didn't have her first sleepover until she was in the second grade. My younger daughter had her first last year, when she was finishing the first grade.

    I think it depends on the indidvidual, although kindergarten seems a little early.

    And the whole 'talking about things in front of the other kids' thing - this goes on all the time. My daughter is having a party next weekend, and though she has been discreet, the entire class knows about it.

     
  • At 3:57 PM, Blogger Judy said…

    My son had a friend sleep over when they were both 5.5. In hindsight, it was too young. Granted, we practically live with each other's family - we do everything together - so it seems we are probably much more close to this family than you are to yours. However, we had the middle-of-the-night waking and I just don't think either of them were ready for it.

    A couple of weeks ago, though, the same boy invited Travis over for a sleepover birthday party - the birthday boy/friend and Travis and another boy. They did splendidly. They are all a year older, though. Travis is going to be 7 in a few months.

    Would I let him spend the night with someone else? Probably not right now. There's not too many people we are that close to right now, and while he did fine sleeping away from home, I was a basket case!

     
  • At 5:21 PM, Blogger city dweller said…

    I don't have girls (do boys have sleepovers?), but I don't think I'd let my daughter sleep over anywhere at age 5. That's just me. Not to scare anyone or anything but I have a friend that got molested while spending the night with friends at a young age. Personally, I'd have to know the parents really well, too.

     
  • At 10:56 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    Ok..ya'll are scaring me on different levels! My daughter will be 4 in June. I don't think she'll be mature enough to spend the night at someone's house when she's 5. But then my mother raised me (my siblings are much older and my parents divorced when I was 7) and was EXTREMELY overprotective. I was probably about 10 when I stayed overnight at a friend's house. So my vote would be she's a little young although she's now talked it up! Gah! Good luck!

     
  • At 4:31 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    I am a teenager and I have 3 sisters. The youngest [8] had her fist sleepover when she was 5 but it was at our Aunts house it got her ready for sleepovers at friends houses. The oldest [15] had her first sleepover at 6 and it was at a friends house. The 2nd oldest was 9. For me I was 4 1/2. It really depends. If there is time before the sleepover have her sleep over at a relitives house. Then you can see if she is ready!

     

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