When I was a kid, we had Gym sleepovers at my club. Other clubs. And frequently billeted with the families of other gymnasts when away at training camps.
Not to mention the frequent sleepovers I hosted with my own friends.
But in 2023 there are not many unsupervised sleepovers. Good policy.
In recent online and media debates about sleepovers, parents have cited big concerns about letting their children sleep at a friend’s house:
- How much adult supervision will they have?
- Are there guns in the home?
- Is the family COVID vaccinated?
- Are alcohol and drugs sufficiently secure?
- Will other parents take my child’s allergies/health condition seriously?
- Will the kids have access to the internet?
- What other siblings, friends, and adults will be in the home, and do I know them?
- How do I know my child will be safe from abuse?
- Who even are these people?
… There are alternatives to the traditional sleepover where young kids can get some of the freedom and novelty without as much risk:
- Allowing sleepovers with trusted family members or family friends.
- A “sleep-under” (or half-over or late-over): Allowing your child to play late at a friend’s house but come home for bedtime.
- Let them go on daytime outings with friends and their families where you can be present and get to know everyone better.
- Go camping with other families, which gives the kids a sleepover experience but all parents are present for supervision.
source – Lifehacker – Are Sleepovers Finally Over?
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