I loved having sleep overs as a child. I loved going to over-night camp. I believe I was one of those kids who arrived at camp and barely kissed my parent good bye before I took off to have fun. My brother on the other hand was one of those kids who wanted to come home at night to his own bed, blankets, etc. They didn't seem to have quite the same appeal to him as they did to me.
As for my eldest daughter she seems to want to do sleepovers, but I know she'll be the kid who wakes up in the night and cries hysterically that she misses her mom and wants to go home at 2am. And as much as I want her to experience those fun over night sleepovers, I also don't want her to experience those nights waking up scared wanting to come home. I fear it may put her off sleepovers for a while.
So which one of us is more scared?
My daughter is enrolled on Sparks. For those who don't know that Sparks is....it is the most junior of Girl Guides. First is Sparks, then Brownies, then Guides, etc. Her unit along with the Brownies run by the same leader do a 2 night overnight camps a year. I sign my daughter up, pay the fees......but I pick her up each nigh and deliver her back at camp each morning in time for breakfast. She doesn't miss anything except night time story time and sleeping.
My daughter is 5, to remind you of her age. She sleeps all night in her own bed 6/7 nights a week. The other nights she 'camps' on our floor when she has a bad dream or isn't well. By 'camp' I mean she's either sleeping on a blanket or a foam mattress on my side of the bed on the floor....NOT in my bed.
Because of these reasons I can't imagine her sleeping overnight at camp with half the people as strangers in a cabin she knows isn't her room. Therefore I bring her home each night to her own bed.
She has never been a good sleeper. And I tire of it........very very very tired of it. I'm hoping that one day she will do a sleepover and will be fine and happy and won't be the kind of kid who will cry for her mom all night.
Maybe....just maybe it'll be next time.