Why Parents are Banning Sleepovers

Sleepovers can be a late night of fun and independence. Teens stay up late eating junk food, watching movies, playing games, sharing stories, and laughing lots. Many parents are happy to let their teens enjoy these experiences. Continue reading to learn why parents are banning sleepovers. 

Some parents, though, ban their teens from attending sleepovers. Why is that? In this blog post, we’ll discuss some of the reasons.

Pills and Porn Rather than Pillow Time

Late at night, surrounded by friends and without supervision, some teens will take this opportunity to involve their friends in risky behavior. Increased peer pressure from lack of supervision and the dampened self-control that comes with staying up late fosters bad choices. At sleepovers, many teens are introduced to drugs, alcohol, and pornography. Not all sleepovers involve these things, but some parents would rather play it safe than sorry. Choices made at sleepovers can affect teens for a long time afterward.

Sleepovers and Sexual Abuse

There are many tragic stories of sexual abuse that come from sleepovers. Even if you know the family well, your teen is still in danger. Statistics show that teens are actually more likely to suffer sexual abuse from an acquaintance rather than from a stranger. Because sleepovers create an environment where sexual abuse can more easily happen, some parents would rather not let their teen take the risk.

They Don’t Need to Stay All Night

Some parents argue that there’s no need for their teen to stay at their friend’s house all night. Their teen can go to a friend’s sleepover for a few hours, have fun, and then go back home to sleep. If spending the night is an unnecessary part of the fun, why risk the trouble that can come from it?

To Sleepover or Not to Sleepover, that is the Question

There are many factors to consider when deciding whether or not to allow your teen to attend sleepovers. How flexible do you want to be? Do you want your teen to attend any sleepover they’d like? Some parents allow this so that their teen can practice independence. Do you want to set rules where your teen can only attend certain sleepovers? This allows your teen to enjoy sleepovers while minimizing the risks. One downfall of this though is that it can create an awkward situation where someone might question why your teen can sleepover at one person’s house and not theirs. The other option is to set an absolute ban on sleepovers. Doing this can upset your teen, but it can also protect them. There isn’t one perfect answer, so we suggest that you consider your options and choose what feels best for you and your teen.