Sophie's off to her first ever sleepover.....

16 years ago

And I'm a nervous wreck! It's the annual Girl Guide's sleepover. She's excited as can be. They've got a ton of fun activities planned - pizza, a campfire, crafts, a princess parade, painting, movie and popcorn, and they're tenting (indoors).

She's very independant, and didn't have any reservations about going off without me for the night. I on the other hand, I'm sure I won't sleep a wink tonight. She's so little - only 5. What if she wakes up in the night when everyone else is asleep and she feels lonely? I just remember so vividly how awful it can feel to be away from home and homesick. She's much more confident and a lot stronger than I was at her age, though.

Oh, why do they have to grow up? SIGH!

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Comments (20)

trinitytx
16 years ago
Ahh, the first of many overnites for Sophie. She will be just fine.
Enjoy the evening, and rest assured that she will be in good company making fun memories.

Trin
Jamie_MS
16 years ago
Enjoy the night Nicole!! She will be fine. If she is that excited about going, I bet she won't have a problem. It's so hard letting those apron strings loose!
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sandy_in_ia
16 years ago
Nicole, I soooo understand your fears! I didn't like staying over night anywhere...except grandmas..when I was a kid. I absolutely hated going to the one camp I went to...HATED IT! I was so homesick, and it was too far away for my parents to come get me. I had to be sooooo careful when it came to the girls going to camps. They LOVED going! They couldn't wait to go, and if they got to go to 2 that summer..they were thrilled! I was much worse than the kids when they went off...I just couldn't imagine that they would have any fun, and I just KNEW they would be so homesick for me! Ya right...NOT!! LOL

Nicole, please try to enjoy your evening and sleep tight tonight! I bet Sophie will! =)
danihoney
16 years ago
Oh Nicole, You just sound like the sweetest Mommy ever. Even if she does feel a little lonely at times, she'll be alright. It will be a good experience for both of you.
And just think how big that smile will be when she gets to tell you all about her night.
Happy_Go_Lucky_Gayle
16 years ago
I've only gotten one phone call in the middle of the night with my kids sleepovers. My Daughter didn't like the family that invited her. She was afraid of them. I think she made a good call. The parents got into a fight and she was frightened.

Gayle
jannie
16 years ago
I'm sure she'll have a great time! My kids went to sleepovers around five or six, and they both came home the next day saying they had a blast! Tell Sophie to phone you if she wants. Try to hide your fear from her. Considering she'll be with a group of girls she knows and there are lots of activities planned, she will be fine! Now stop worrying!
dances_in_garden
16 years ago
Trust me, I have been part of enough of these brownie outings to know that there will be several adults there, and if a kid so much as snores they will be right there LOL. We are up on and off the entire night, re-covering kids, adding extra covers if it got cold, directing them to the bathroom, finding blankies and teddies and fixing pillows. Plus they keep them up a bit later and are very busy, so they sleep GOOD lolol!

I know it doesn't help any knowing that LOLOL.
nicole_ont
Original Author
16 years ago
Thanks everyone. :)

Oh yeah, I made sure that she didn't know I was nervous. And she knows that if she really wants to come home at any point, we'll come and get her - she knows she's not stuck. I also reminded her that if she DOES come home in the night, that she'd be missing out on more fun in the morning. She never wants to miss out on anything, so I think she'd only call if she was desperately lonely, and I just don't see that happening. The only time I imagine she could get lonely would be if everyone else fell asleep before her. But I made sure to put her to bed early last night and get her up early this morning to make sure that she'd be good and tired by bedtime.

I'm pretty sure she'll be fine, but I've got our cell phones and the house phone all lined up in front of me just in case. :)

Thanks again for the comforting words!
nicole_ont
Original Author
16 years ago
Whoops. It said "message rejected" when I submitted that message the first time - that's why I submitted it the second time.
patti43
16 years ago
Bless your heart, Nicole. You're giving all us older mom's memories long forgotten. It's okay to worry. She will probably have the best time--and now that first sleepover is under your belt and you'll be more relaxed the next time.
talley_sue_nyc
16 years ago
I think 5 is a GREAT age for a sleepover!

Especially if you know they're not shy.

W/ 13-y-o's, you might have to worry that the parents will go off and leave them alone; or boys might come by; or meanness might come out.

But at 5, the other parents (or organizers) will be more likely to take extra care, and there are no boy issues, and the potential meanness is just not so strong.

I think little kids and sleepovers are a great combo!

and Dances is right--there will be tons of grownups (they grownups will be exhausted in the a.m.)
intherain
16 years ago
My kids loved sleepovers, but we also got a few calls from DD late at night asking if she could please come home. So I do understand! I bet Sophie will have a great time.
alisande
16 years ago
I'll bet she did beautifully. I suffered from homesickness as a child, and to this day would rather sleep in my own house than someone else's. But my children weren't like that at all! They had a lot of fun with sleepovers, and it sounds like Sophie will, too.
nicole_ont
Original Author
16 years ago
Well, it's 7:30, and we haven't got a call yet, so she lasted the night! 3 more hours til we pick her up.

(I barely slept - I kept waking to check the time, and I kept dreaming the phone was ringing).

Thanks once again, all!!
grammahony
16 years ago
LOL, Nicole, I'm glad you survived the night. Now about 11:00 you'll be wanting a nap. I know I think 5 is so young too. I know I never liked to go away from my Mom when I was little, and I'd get so homesick. I would go to stay with my Gramma and Grampa in the summer for a week. I'd be crying after we left our house. One time they had to bring me back. And it was 50 miles. After that they made sure there were 2 of us, usually cousins, staying at a time. There wasn't much to do on the farm. You couldn't play with the kittens, they were kinda wild, and the chickens pecked at you.
Leslie
liz
16 years ago
(((Nicole)))...hold on to her tight...the next time you blink she'll be going to the prom....I remember the first time mine spent the night out...he was fine...Mom and Dad were a basket case!

This is the part of MOMMY I don't like...letting our little chicks fly the nest...
bestlawn
16 years ago
LOL So glad you both survived the night. I know she had a wonderful time. Tell us all about her exciting adventure.
pattico_gw
16 years ago
Wait till she a teen and see how much sleep you get when she wants to go for a sleepover....

Wondering if the parents will make sure they don't sneak out during the night...

I think I had kids spending the night nearly every weekend with two teen daughters at home...I'd rather have then at my house than to not know for sure where they were.

Our house was always full of kids.

LOL..now it is grandkids.

I agree with you...they grow up so fast....way to fast for me.

patti
marilyn_c
16 years ago
My daughter was so independent...went to sleep overs and away to camp...never a look back. She was a very clingy and shy baby and I held her all the time. People told me how wrong that was...and it wasn't. She always looked forward to camp, and starting school (kindergarten) was no biggy for her. I saw so many children crying and not wanting to go. I know Sophie had a wonderful time.
jannie
16 years ago
My Vicki cried the first day of kindergarten,I felt so bad. But one of the boys cried ,too. I'll never forget those days. I wanted my kid to be liked, be popular, do well in school, have friends, just have everything nice.Somehow, things always eem to work out. She's 18 now, and just finished Cosmetology School, she'll be looking for a job next week.

Sophie's off to her first ever sleepover.....

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Sophie's off to her first ever sleepover.....

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