Sleepover

For other uses, see Sleepover (disambiguation).
"Slumber party" redirects here. For the rock band, see Slumber Party.
Guests resting at a sleepover

A sleepover, also known as a pajama party or a slumber party, is a party most commonly held by children or teenagers, where a guest or guests are invited to stay overnight at the home of a friend, sometimes to celebrate birthdays or other special events. A lock-in is a similar event held in a setting other than a private home, such as a school or church. The sleepover is often called a "rite of passage" as a young child, or a teenager, begins to assert independence and to develop social connections outside the immediate family.[1][2][3]

Beginning in the 1990s, commentators wrote about a perceived new trend of parents allowing co-ed sleepovers for teenagers, with both boys and girls staying overnight together. While some writers decried the trend, others defended it as a safer alternative to teenage dating outside the house.[4][5][6][7]

References

  1. Judith Ancer, "Sleepovers need not be a nightmare - and help kids to be autonomous in a safe environment", The Sunday Times (South Africa), June 10, 2012.
  2. Edward Eveld, "Sleepovers a rite of passage for kids", Chicago Tribune, August 14, 2005.
  3. Barbara F. Meltz, "The sleep-over: A rite of passage", Boston Globe, October 13, 1994   via HighBeam Research (subscription required) .
  4. Peter Annin, "Slumbering Around", Newsweek, November 4, 1996   via Questia (subscription required) .
  5. Emily Wax, "Coed All-Nighters Put Trust on Line; Not All Parents Are Losing Sleep Over Teen Fad", The Washington Post, November 16, 2000   via HighBeam Research (subscription required) , reprinted as "Coed all-nighters cause unrest", Sarasota Herald-Tribune, November 21, 2000.
  6. Betsy Hart, "Coed sleepovers: Teenagers learn volumes from parents' decision-making", Scripps Howard News Service in The Daily News (Kentucky), November 24, 2000.
  7. Amy Dickinson, "Coed Sleepovers", Time, January 8, 2001.

External links

Look up sleepover in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.