Sleepovers

A couple of days ago I was reading one of the blogs I follow. In this blog the author mentioned not allowing her children to attend sleepovers. Well, I’m not one for commenting on blogs much but I remembered giving a lesson in relief society a few months ago which mentioned that specific topic. So, I decided to leave my two cents on her blog.

Since I feel it is something important for parents to be aware of, I decided to post the quote from general conference on my blog as well.

Times have certainly changed from when I was a kid. I thought things were pretty bad in the 80s when I was growing up, but it’s much worse now. Unfortunately. Anyway, here is the quote:

From the October 2010 General Conference address “Courageous Parenting” given by Larry R. Lawrence of the 70

“May I express my personal warning about a practice that is common in many cultures. I am referring to sleepovers, or spending the night at the home of a friend. As a bishop I discovered that too many youth violated the Word of Wisdom or the law of chastity for the first time as part of a sleepover. Too often their first exposure to pornography and even their first encounter with the police occurred when they were spending the night away from home.

Peer pressure becomes more powerful when our children are away from our influence and when their defenses are weakened late at night. If you have ever felt uneasy about an overnight activity, don’t be afraid to respond to that warning voice inside. Always be prayerful when it comes to protecting your precious children.”

Parenting is not a popularity contest. Always do what is in the best interest of your children. Even though they may think you are mean and don’t understand. One day they will thank you. Although teenagers may physically look like adults, the adolescent brain is immature and still developing. That’s obvious if you’ve ever talked to a teenager.

So parents, it’s up to you to make “courageous” decision for your children.

That’s my two cents.