Let me start this off with the fact that I’m not a sleepover Nazi! I think it is completely normal and healthy for kids to want to spend the night occasionally with their peers. I have had numerous sleepovers at my house and have let my kids go to other houses as well. I am not adverse to the whole idea, with that said, I think it is perfectly normal for children ages 8 thru 13 or even 14 to have sleepovers to their hearts content. The issue I’m debating is the teenagers, ages 15 thru 18, wanting the infamous “sleepovers”…..and the funny thing is….they NEVER want to have them at your home!…Does this sound suspicious to anyone else besides me?

Ask yourself this….why would my 16 year old want to have a sleepover?….answer…because they don’t want to come home from doing something they don’t want you to know about….whether it be drinking….doing drugs, or just, out at all hours of the night without a curfew and never having to be accountable for where they are at. So, you ask yourself….where do they end up?….well, that’s a very good question.

I know all teenagers like to test their boundaries, and I’m not insinuating that all sleepovers end up a drinking or drug fest….but I think that parents need to be aware of the fact that if you don’t open your eyes and ask questions every now and again, and actually check up on things and follow through on the check up, then weekends tend to get out of hand. Know your teenagers friends….know their parents (at least on a name basis)…if your child wants to have a sleepover at his/her friends house….talk to the parents…verify they will be home, and awake, when your child gets to their house…let your child know that you have talked with said parent so that they are aware of the ground rules and know that you are on top of it. Enough said!