Should i have a sleepover

If I am not confident that is the case, I leave it and suggest a different friend instead. Without you there to rely on, children are forced into doing more things for themselves — whether that's asking for a drink or just figuring out where the bathroom is. This, agree experts, can be an important step in personal development. Lorna Fisher, a mum of nine-year-old twin girls, believes it's sleepovers that are singlehandedly responsible for her children's improved communication skills.

But because they were confident among their friends, they were keen on the idea of sleepovers from around eight years old. I quickly found that by being forced to speak out to these friends' parents, they became increasingly confident and now seem to have no problem at all chatting away to people of all ages,' she says.

Every household has its own rules and expectations — and sleepovers give youngsters an opportunity to learn that social boundaries can be different, and how to adapt to those. Whether their friend's parents are stricter, or more chilled out, it's all good practice for operating in the real world, says Artis.

You can help make the transition for children staying at your house smoother by being upfront from the off, says Tanith Carey, author of Mum Hacks: Time-saving Tips to Calm the Chaos of Family Life.

Explain exactly what the rules are around when you will be collecting all their electronics and books, for example, and when you'll be turning out the light 'Ideally, work out a set of firm but reasonable rules in coordination with your child so they understand what is expected from them and their friends,' adds Tanith.

There's no doubt that children bring joy and happiness beyond measure — but they can be stressful too, wearing down even the most heroic of parents from time to time. Fagell said children whose friends are not allowed to participate in sleepovers should be encouraged to practice acceptance and empathy.

Not everybody views sleepovers the same way. That doesn't make that peer less than," she said. Facebook Twitter Email. Many parents are saying no to sleepovers. At what cost? Alia E. Show Caption. Hide Caption. Helicopter parents in a social media age.

In many cases, a sleepover might be the first time your child has ever spent the night away from home, which is a bigger step than you might realise. The only way to really teach your kids the importance of how to behave in different locations is for them to experience different situations for themselves. Sleepovers are a great way for you and your little one to spend some time away from each other in a safe and controlled environment.

Kids will have to fend for themselves within reason! For many kids, it can be a really big step to spend the night away from mum and dad, and this is referred to as separation anxiety in some cases.

But when it comes to deciding when is the "right" time, that's a personal decision for each family. Child and educational psychologist Andrew Greenfield says ensuring your child is comfortable with the situation is very important because "separation anxiety can be an issue with children attending their first sleepover".

Mr Greenfield says in regard to separation anxiety, "giving your child a piece of your clothing or an object that reminds them of you" can be a way to help them feel secure when they are away from home.

And finally, Ellie says something that she does to help reassure herself and to empower her children is using a code word. Get our newsletter for the best of ABC Everyday each week. Shona Hendley is a freelance writer and ex-secondary school teacher from Ballarat, Victoria. She lives with her four fish, three goats, two cats, one chicken, as well as her two human children and husband. Find her shonamarion.

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