Ask ten parents about sleepovers and you will hear ten strong answers. For a lot of us, the rule growing up was simple: you sleep in your own bed, in your own house. Period. For others, sleepovers were where the best childhood friendships were made, and they want that for their kids too.
Parents of Black children are drawing the line in all kinds of places today. Some say yes, but only with families they know well. Some allow a “late-over,” with pajamas, a movie and pickup before bedtime. And plenty are still holding the line at absolutely not.
Where do you stand?
Vote above, then tell us your house rule in the comments. Is it yes, no, or yes with conditions? Tell us what you were raised with, too. We read every comment.
Janice Robinson-Celeste, MBA, is the founder and publisher of Successful Black Parenting Magazine, the Iris Award-winning publication for parents of Black children. An early childhood specialist and former classroom teacher, she is a Public Voices Fellow of The OpEd Project with the National Black Child Development Institute, and her opinion writing has appeared in HuffPost, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, The 74, TheGrio, Word In Black, The Fulcrum and Women's eNews. She is the author of Pride and Joy: African-American Baby Celebrations (Simon & Schuster) and the award-winning children's book Miles' Stuffy Nose, hosts the BACKtalk podcast, and founded the National Black Parenting Conference. She is a proud mom of three.
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Statistics show that 1 in 3 girls is molested, usually by someone they know. I SO, no “We don’t do sleepovers.”
Anonymous
22 days ago
It’s yay and nay for me it depends on age, time of year etc because I come from a large family. So kids ask all the time to stay over especially during family events. Non family ugh probably no. Unless we have a deep relationship with the other parents.
Statistics show that 1 in 3 girls is molested, usually by someone they know. I SO, no “We don’t do sleepovers.”
It’s yay and nay for me it depends on age, time of year etc because I come from a large family. So kids ask all the time to stay over especially during family events. Non family ugh probably no. Unless we have a deep relationship with the other parents.
I have 3 girls. Statistics show that 1 in 3 girls is molested, usually by someone they know. I decided long ago, “We don’t do sleepovers.”