Sleepover Safety

5 questions to ask before the big night

Whether it’s your child’s first sleepover or your teen’s 100th slumber party, your child’s safety should be the most important factor when giving the go-ahead to sleep at another family’s home. Before you pack the sleeping bag and overnight bag, here are some important questions to ask.

Roll call.

Who’s going to be at the sleepover? It’s important to know exactly who will be at the home. Which of your child’s friends will be there and what adults will be watching them? If a baby-sitter is in charge, ask the parents about the baby-sitter. Also find out if other relatives or family members will be in the house, or if an older sibling will have friends over, as well.

Weapons check.

Are there weapons in the house? With the growing number of gun owners and gun-related deaths of children, this is a very important question to ask. It’s imperative you know if your child will be around a gun. Ask if the family has one and how it’s secured.

In or out.

Will the kids be staying at home or going out? Always make sure you know the plans for the night. Ask the host parents if they’re planning on taking the kids out for a movie or if they’ll be hanging out at home.

Show stoppers.

Will someone monitor what the children can watch on TV? Could your child be exposed to shows, movies or music that you consider inappropriate? Make sure the host parents know what is and what’s not acceptable for child. You don’t want to find out the next morning that your child went saw an R-rated movie.

Plugged in.

Will the children be able to go online? Ensure that your child isn’t sending pictures of themselves to strangers online, or sharing their name, phone number and address. Ask if they use filtering software and, if not, how do they make sure that their kids are being safe online?

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