With some things, you don’t have to first have children of your own to understand how dangerous they might be. One of these is sleepovers. In most cases, when two families form a friendship, their children tend to become friends instantly. And there is no problem with that. However, my worry is the extent that these friendships tend to outstretch; to the extent that parents feel comfortable letting their kids spend nights in each other’s homes. Probably, parents who do this only consider the good side. Maybe, they are busy or just want to have a good time to themselves and believe that since kids may distract them, having them spend a weekend somewhere else would be the best option. Well, I doubt that. I am not a parent yet, but I have young cousins, nieces and nephews. I know what it takes having a child around. I know when they need attention and when they are in danger. And sleepovers are a danger in my view. In case of an emergency and a sleepover is inevitable, choose to leave your kids at one of your close relatives. When children are away, you don’t have control over them and there is possibility for them to learn new habits. In case their hosts have no restrictions, it’s easier for your child to want to try out new things. That’s where you see kids getting exposed to things like alcohol use. There is also a possibility of the little ones watching movies that are not of their age. Once a child starts watching movies with adult scenes like kissing and so forth, with time they get addicted and before you know it, such kids are easily persuaded to watch pornography. A child’s innocence is lost and their minds are corrupted. A lot can go on behind closed doors. Imagine your daughter spending a night at a house where there are teenage boys or even distant male relatives, there is possibility of getting sexually abused, and unfortunately few kids open up to their parents right away after such scenarios occur. A friend recently confided in me. She took her daughter to a friend’s for a sleepover, but she somehow felt that something was wrong when she picked her up. Her daughter’s eyes were red; she was also acting weird and became distant. Her child is 14 years old. She tried initiating a conversation with her to open up but in vain. She has since been worried and somehow her instincts told her that all didn’t go well. She doesn’t know what to do and couldn’t ask her friend what could have happened to her daughter for fear of perceiving it in a different way. But also, with sleepovers, its obvious that the kids will get less or no sleep especially if they share bedrooms, as they have much to talk about, plus the excitement of meeting. Without enough sleep, their next day will be messed up. Some parents may look at the brighter side, believing that sleepovers are a way to allow little ones to have some independence and opportunity to practice manners while testing social boundaries in new environments. In case of an emergency and a sleepover is inevitable, choose to leave your kids at one of your close relatives, at least that is family and you know their behaviour very well as compared to just a friend who you don’t know much about.
