VIDEO: Mom shares alternative plan for sleepovers
Not all parents are comfortable with their children staying the night.
There is no one way to parent.
Every parent has their own way of doing what they think is best for their child and it's one of the hardest jobs in the world.
One of a parent's main goals in life is to make sure their child is protected and safe.
LISTEN: The end of sleepovers? Why parents are not keen on them
There has been an ongoing debate in the parenting community over whether sleepovers should be a thing of the past.
Our very own Rozanne McKenzie, who is a mom of two, has spoken about how hard it is to navigate this situation when your children start receiving the invites.
A parent doesn't want their child to feel excluded, but they also want to make sure everyone is comfortable, especially their child.
Mom Leann has gone viral on TikTok after sharing her tip for sleepovers and how to handle it with your child.
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She starts the video by explaining that her six-year-old daughter had received a birthday party invite that stated that it was a sleepover.
Leann says she immediately knew that her daughter would not be allowed to sleep over.
In an interview with BuzzFeed, she mentioned that her hesitation comes from her work as a teacher and school administrator.
I have been shocked to hear some of the horrendous experiences children had at sleepovers due to the hands or negligence of the adults or other children in their presence.
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After assessing her daughter's level of emotional maturity she decided that it would be a "no", no matter where the invitation came from and that it wasn't just specific to this party.
Naturally, she was nervous about how the parents would respond after she said that her daughter would not be sleeping over, but she still wanted her to be involved in the festivities.
In her viral video, Leann explains the plan she had worked out with the hosting parents to ensure that her daughter could join in on the fun, even though she wouldn't be staying over.
Watch her video here:
@leannp0721 How do you handle sleepovers in your family? (I’m not here to judge your decision) #sleepovers #slumberparty #kdgmom #momtok #momlife #girlmom #birthdayparty #fun #nosleepovers ♬ original sound - Leann
But you never know how your child will react to a situation.
Did her plan work or was her daughter upset that she couldn't stay over?
My daughter handled the decision extremely well... I made it clear that she could go with the schedule we had set up or not go at all. I was not going to negotiate with her on this. I explained, in an age-appropriate way, that I was not comfortable letting her stay over and I told her that there could be a situation where she gets nervous or scared overnight and isn't comfortable enough with the other parent to wake them up and ask to go home.
Many parents have thanked Leann for her video and suggestion, saying that they will also be using this in the future.
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Main image courtesy of @leannp0721/TikTok