Is it weird for YOUNG children of different sexes to have a sleepover?

Question

A little back story... my daughter is 2.5. My BFF has a son (who is also my godson just turned 6). He has just loved my daughter since the moment I got pregnant. He treats her so well, asks about her all the time and treats her like a little sister. He asked me and his mom if she could spend the night. I mentioned it to my husband who asked me if I thought it was weird since he's a boy and she's a girl. Personally I don't think so because they are so young and it is obvious platonic. That being said - I grew up in a very liberal, free spirited, hippie household and as a tomboy had boys sleep over until I was around 10. My husband grew up in a very conservative, modest, religious household- so it is very possible one of us just has a skewed perception. Lol. Thanks for reading!

Accepted Answer

Not sure on the boy/girl part, but the 2.5 year old on a sleepover would be a hard no for me.

Answer

I personally wouldn't be okay with it. I also just don't leave my children for sleepovers at all. The boy being older also would concern me. Unfortunately kids tend to be molested by those close to them and I honestly just don't mess around with that stuff. Maybe if you slept over too and you all had a little camp out in the living room situation, that would probably be okay with me. It's all about your comfort level but I would be cautious.

Answer

No, I don’t think it’s weird at all. But, other people thinking it’s weird or not ok, is very weird to me 🤷🏽‍♀️

Answer

It's not weird for me in the genders. The age gap though is what would concern me- 2.5 and 6 is not only a big age gap for kids who aren't related to be sleeping together (in assuming they'd likely share a room for a sleepover) and development wise they are at very different levels.
If it's just the kid sleeping over I would say no. But if it was a joint BFF and kiddo and they shared a spare room or something then I wouldn't see a problem... if you're child was a little older, like 4 or 5 I think developmentally they'd be more similar and then more likely to actually enjoy a sleepover.
But that's just my opinion.... and even between Andy sister (I have boys and she has girls, and they are all within 1 year of eachother) she says no sleepovers with the opposite sex ever, not even the cousins. So 🤷‍♀️

Answer

While I firmly believe it would be innocent, kids curiosity gets the best of them sometimes. I would worry about what would happen behind closed doors. If there was even a monitor in the room or a parent I wouldn't worry. I just worry about what kind of things the boy would try to "explore" for lack of better words. Totally think it's all innocent in his mind but still not appropriate. Its not that i think its weird, im just overly cautious and i tend to explore every possibility. Just my 2 cents!

Answer

That would be an aboslute no. We don't allow sleep overs of any kind, even with family. A situation like that was exactly how I got molested the first several times. Then on top of it I was so young I didn't know it was wrong and that I should tell someone. I was told it was a "game" and we were husband and wife. Not only are they opposite genders, but also have too large of an age gap which leads to massive delevopmental differences.

Answer

Make it a bestie sleepover with the babies.

Answer

My male cousin and I had sleepovers all the time when we were kids. His mom had bunk beds just so I could sleep over. My parents were also fine with sleepovers with any gender all our lives, I can specifically remember my sister’s best friend who was a boy sleeping over many times when they were teens. So it’s not weird at all to me.

Answer

It’s a firm no for me. They can continue to play during the day as friends. The boy/girl is the first no. The second no is that she is too young.

Answer

My little sister and my step son happen to be the same age. They’re 5. They are the BEST friends. For sleep overs we make a pallet on the floor in our room and separate them with a pillow before bed or something similar. Things DO happen so as long as it’s a 100% supervised, I don’t see anything wrong with it. 🤷🏻‍♀️

Is it weird for YOUNG children of different sexes to have a sleepover?

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