DH and I were having a conversation about when it's appropriate to leave a child overnight for the first time. We have differing opinions. I'm just interested to see what everyone else's thoughts are.
I'm not asking about me personally Ken, I just want to know the general opinion of parents. We have friends that have, and friends that haven't. I'm just curious about general consensus.
Ultimately, I say as soon as the parent is comfortable. I had twins, so it was more of a burden to me it seemed. However, I will never forget the words my late sister spoke to me, the first time I left them, "as long as they are safe and fed, they will be just fine".....and she was absolutely right. :mrgreen:
I think my oldest daughter was almost 3 when we left her overnight (and she stayed w/my Mom). I can count on one hand the number of times I've left my girls in the care of someone else overnight (it was always w/my Mom for a very, very special occasion) and my oldest is 13, youngest is 10. I don't know I've always been extremely funny about this sort of stuff. I've always said if I can't take my kids, then I don't need to go. My girls were 10 and 7 the first time we used a "date" night sitter, just to go out w/out the kids. Now that they are older, we do go out more, but my oldest is now old enough to watch the younger one while we do that. Our first mulit-night trip away for more than 1 night was 1 1/2 years ago and my Mom came up to watch them.
We left our first at about 1 yrs. old and just for a very short trip of only 3 days. As the kids got older we adjusted the length of the trip according to how long we thought the kids could go without becoming too homesick for us. To be honest, we haven't taken too many trips without them, just love doing things as a family.
Boy, this question brings back memories! DS was probably 8 or 9 months old and my Mom volunteered to watch him so DH and I could go to dinner and a movie. We made it through dinner and had to go home, neither of us could stand it and he was with my own mother for crying out loud! We did have to leave him with the in-laws when he was about 18 months old for a couple days while we were house-hunting down here. Since he was in day care some, I just felt too guilty to leave him anymore than I absolutely had too.
My wife had surgery when our child was 7 months old. She had to stay overnight and I stayed with her. Grandparents kept our child with no problems.
Mine are 5 & 3 and the only time I have been separated at night was the night my 3 year old was born. I have no family in the area though, so that changes things. I'm sure I would have let them spend the night at their grandmothers' or aunt's if they lived nearby and they wanted to. I'm really picky about whom I leave my children with. Even for a few hours, I have to know the people pretty well.
I am a bit obsessive, so I am not sure my vote counts. I didn't leave my first two over night until they were past the age of 5!!! Third one just stayed with dad overnight for the first time last week at 2 1/2 and it was horrible for me (they were fine). I only went due to an emergency, it would never have been for pleasure. I just don't have a need to leave them, I want to enjoy every minute. Plus I am such a control freak it is too much work to make sure everything is done right. :lol: Shoot, my 19 year old has her own apartment and I check her away message every night before I go to bed to make sure she got home from work ok (thank God for the online/idle time marker!!) So maybe I am not normal...
JS, just don't leave them with me. Unless they are old enough to get me a beer! :mrgreen: Love ya girl. You know I'd watch your kids if NEED be.
Mine was 3 before she could sleep over and only at grandmas or close relatives houses, I am way over protective and think its ok if its relatives you trust and the kid can talk and tell you what kind of time they had that way if they don't like staying at aunt *****'s house they don't have too. I am not much on sleep overs with friends from school not after all you hear on the news such as the man who just was accused of molesting his stepdaughter and her friend who slept over.Things like that make you think even if I meet the parents who may go to their house or who lives next door . you never know these days not worth the chance of your childs saftey and well being IMO.
our only was close to 5 and a half before he spent the night anywhere...and that was at his grandmother's house a mile down the road. like polentardmafia, we just don't have much fun without him...and like several others, we're obsessive/over-protective
