The thought of being away from my son overnight leaves me with a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach. The Texan and I are planning a trip to Vegas later this year, and I have mixed emotions about it. I decided to ask the moms of The Mommy Mindset about baby’s first sleepover. Enjoy our conversation below, and be sure to share your experiences too!
Ashley: The first time I left my son overnight was with my parents, and he was around 14 weeks I think. I’m a single mom and was very sick. I didn’t want him to catch any of my germs, so he stayed with my parents. He did wonderful and if there is anyone I trust most with him, it is my parents. I think it was harder on me than him!
Gena: I didn’t leave my firstborn with anyone overnight until he was 2, when his little brother was born. He was such a horrible sleeper and didn’t sleep through the night until 18 months, and then after that, he’d wake up at 6:30 and want to come to our bed, so I didn’t want to do that to anyone else. When his brother was born, he stayed (in his own bed) for two nights with my parents and did just fine. It’s getting easier to leave him overnight, even though he’s still a horrible sleeper!
Emily: The Boy was 14 months old when we left him overnight with my mother for the first time. The Texan and I went out to celebrate my birthday and my mom offered her services. Of course, he was the perfect house guest, and was still asleep when I arrived at 7:30 the following morning because I missed him!
Lena: My daughter spent many weekends at her grandparents’ house once she turned 9 months or so. I had no idea how easy I had it! neither of my kids have separation anxiety, but I don’t see anyone standing in ie to take them overnight. (LOL). I was totally fine with it – felt like back in college: PAR-TAY (not really – just cleaned the house and relaxed a little)
Ashley: My son doesn’t seem to have separation anxiety either when it comes to sleeping at my parents house. Though it is probably because he knows them so well! It is nice having a night to myself where I do not have to worry about how much to pay the babysitter or if I have to be home by a certain time. However, usually the whole time I’m out I am missing the little man! 🙂
Thanks to Lena of Way2Goodlife, Ashley of Momma Rambles, and Gena of Life with Captain Fussy Buckets for sharing your experience.
How did you handle leaving your child overnight for the first time? Was it harder for you than it was for them?
My son does very well sleeping at my parents house. The first time he slept over was New Years Eve 2012 when my parents took him overnight so that Daddy and I could enjoy a party at my sister’s house. He did so well and has done 1 more sleepover there since then. The only problem is that instead of sleeping in the next morning, I have jumped out of bed panicking forgetting why I haven’t heard him up yet and thus starts my day like any other at 6am even sans child. Sigh….
My baby is 17 months and we’ve never left her overnight! I work 2 overnights a week and she us with my hubby, but she has never been overnight without mommy or daddy… I don’t plan on leaving her anytime soon, id worry too much!
My oldest was almost 3 before we let him sleep at my parents. I know probably a little bit of overkill lol. Our second who is 16 months still hasn’t and probably won’t until he is finished bfing. I just have a hard time.
I just had a baby, so thankfully I have not yet had to experience the first night without him. However, I already have family/friends asking when they get to babysit and keep him over night. I’m thinking, when he’s 30. 😛
I don’t know when I’ll be ready to give 100% control to another person of my child. Maybe when he’s old enough to communicate and be away from me for a longer period of time. At least not until after he’s done breastfeeding for sure.