15 Jul Top 3 Tips to Remember Before Sending Your Kid to a Friend’s House
By Courtney Rasche
LET’S FACE IT, trusting people with our children is hard, even at school or on a sports team. Trusting other adults to care for your child during a sleepover or playdate can be especially tough. Whether school-aged or in high school, there are some things to consider to ensure your child’s safety and your peace of mind when arranging a sleepover or visit with friends.
1. Educate and Empower Your Child
Talk with your child before sending them off to a friend’s house about what they need to know for their safety. These things include knowing their parents’ and/or caregivers’ full names and phone numbers, the difference between adults and teenagers, any allergies they have, and safe body boundaries.
2. Be Available
Even if you’ve dropped your child off hours ago and you think everything is going well, you should still be prepared to get the call that they want to come home. It is important that kids feel safe asking for help. Tell them repeatedly that they can call you anytime if they want to come home. They don’t need to feel embarrassed or feel pressured to stay. Come up with a code word or phrase that your child can call and tell you so you know they are ready to come home. If they have a phone, ask them if they want you to text or call them to check in.
3. Communicate with Caregivers
Sharing information about your child—and asking for information about the home they will be visiting—will help keep your child safe and (hopefully!) help ease your mind. Some good questions to ask are who all will be in the home, sleeping arrangements, activities planned to know what clothes your child needs, if they will be transported anywhere, and how the other parent will they handle the situation if your child misbehaves.
Sleepovers and time at friends’ houses don’t have to be scary! Check out Face It’s “Playing It Safe” brochure and magnet here to read more tips on how to be prepared and ensure your child has a fun and safe time with friends! You can also order free copies of the brochure and magnet to keep and share with other parents and caregivers here.