Teenagers and sleepovers, how often?

YORKSHIRELASS

My 14 yo son is constantly asking me if he can have friends around for sleepovers. If he had his way he would sleep at a friend's, or have someone here, every weekend.

Usually these sleepovers mean having a friend around for 24 hours.
Our other child has health problems and doesn't always cope well with this so we try and do one sleepover a month but that's not enough apparently.

Don't mind having kids around during the day, staying for tea or whatever it's just this whole sleepover thing that's becoming an issue.

What do other parents think?

Guest101

Once a month seems reasonable

shopaholicz

I think once a month is very reasonable. How about your son going to sleepover at their house the following month, giving you a well needed break?

Savvy_Sue

He's 14, so old enough for a sensible discussion and agreement if you catch him on a good day. I agree that once a month at your house is probably enough, but is there a problem of him being elsewhere once a month or more often?

silvercar

Depends how much sleep is actually taking place. If they are talking/ eating pizza/ playing FIFA til 4am and then their body clock is out for the rest of the weekend and they can't get up for school Monday morning then I would suggest 'not very often' is the answer.

2gorgeousgirls

Sleepovers are the bane of my life. 15 year old constantly asking for someone over, 12 year old not so much but then she complains her sister always has friends here and she doesn't. I get it in the ear from the older one if I say no and from the younger one if I say yes. I can't win, either way someone is moaning.

I have imposed a limit after older one had 3 sleepovers in one month. I've said one sleepover a month each (although I now wish I'd said every 6 weeks)! I just hope they decide to have their sleepovers on the same night and get it all over with at the same time. I shouldn't really complain, at least they both have well behaved children as friends who don't wreck the house or use the mattresses to slide down the stairs!

YORKSHIRELASS

Thank you so much, especially 2gorgeousgirls. Yes the other issue here is that my 14 yo needs his sleep and of course teenage boys want to stay up until 4am playing on the Xbox.

According to my son everyone else has sleepovers far more often than him and this is why I wanted to know what other people thought.

And yes he does get invited to sleepovers at friends too but then thats becoming more regular than I would like really (again sleep issues) so I think we need a little chat about it.

silvercar

According to my son everyone else....

I think that is teenager vocabulary. All teenagers claim everyone else is allowed to do whatever they are not.

HappyMJ

silvercar wrote: »

I think that is teenager vocabulary. All teenagers claim everyone else is allowed to do whatever they are not.

Agreed...wait another couple of years and the girlfriend will be staying over a lot more...and of course ALL his friends have their BF's/GF's stay over every weekend and their parents don't mind one little bit.

Anyway, my rule is the first weekend of any holiday/mid term break and up to 2 nights early in the first week is fine.

Caroline_a

I always used to wonder who this amazing woman was "Everybody Else's Mother" who entered into our life when my oldest was around 13 and left when the youngest was about 16. Thank god the b1atch has gone!

YORKSHIRELASS

Caroline_a wrote: »

I always used to wonder who this amazing woman was "Everybody Else's Mother" who entered into our life when my oldest was around 13 and left when the youngest was about 16. Thank god the b1atch has gone!

Ha, great one. He has just got up and I have just said no to a sleepover tonight - we are going away for the weekend tomorrow - but said his mate can come here for as long as he wants today and I will take him home at 9pm. He said oh its OK, I might just chill at at home today and play on the xbox!