My teen texted me in the middle of the night to come get him from a sleepover. I want them to know I'm always there for them.

"When one of my teenage sons texts from a sleepover and asks if we can come pick him up, there is no hesitation, no guilt trip, and no questions as to why. That's always been the rule in our house: if you want to come home, let us know and we'll be there. No matter where they are, what time it is, or why they want to leave, we want them to feel safe calling us to come home."

"Sleepover invites started when my oldest was in kindergarten - and I couldn't wrap my mind around the idea of him spending the night in someone else's home. I wouldn't have called myself anti-sleepover, but I definitely was. Sometimes my boys would stay at a friend's house until just before bedtime, then we'd come pick them up, and we'd all sleep better knowing they were tucked into their own beds. I wasn't judging other parents; I just didn't feel comfortable handing off that responsibility."

"That approach might seem overly cautious, but as an older mom who grew up in the 1970s and '80s, I remember sleepovers that were barely supervised. Parents would disappear behind closed doors or leave the house entirely, and we kids were left to our own devices - watching R-rated movies, making prank calls, and sneaking sips from the liquor cabinet. No one asked what we were doing, and no one came to check on us. That scenario seems unimaginable now."

Parents establish a rule that children can call home from sleepovers at any time and be picked up without questions or guilt. Children do not need to explain reasons; a simple request to come home is sufficient. The parent initially resisted sleepovers, preferring children sleep in their own beds and feeling uneasy about transferring nighttime responsibility. Memories of loosely supervised 1970s–1980s sleepovers with alcohol, R-rated movies, prank calls, and absent parental checks motivate a more cautious approach. The priority is children's safety and comfort, validating reasons like uncomfortable vibes or social exhaustion to return home.

Read at Business Insider