Am I being over protective?

I am at your side. What you are doing is not being over protective. You're just doing the right thing. I cant see my daughter at a very young age sleeping with other people's house. Yes, they may be friends and can be trusted but she's still too young for those kinds of things. I dont care what other people might say about me and my stand. My major concern is my children's safety. I can never forgive myself if something bad happens to my kids just because I let them sleep with other people's house.

Take heart. Don't be disheartened or embarrassed by what others say about you as a parent. As long as you have rationalised the circumstances, and made the best decision that suits your family and has your child's interest in mind, no one can fault you. Other mums may be more liberal with what their children do, but that doesn't mean every other mum should do the same in order to be seen to do the "right" thing. When something happens, their "right" decision will become wrong. Be brave. Stand by your decisions once you have made them, and don't waver. People will learn to respect you for this.

see parents are always good they never think bad about their children its u who will take decisions in their early stage so dont feel guilty but while taking decision ask ur children what is their openion n then take decision which u feel is good for them

"I don't think it's fair when I get critisized for being a good parent. Am I the only one that feels this way?" of course its not fair..not at all but why let it bother you? YOU KNOW you are being a concerned, loving and responsible parent and thats whats important and really all that matters...the Gods forbid you should cave and let her roam/sleep over etc etc and something horrible happen! Why risk it, cause lets face it, its not a pretty nor safe world out there and at the age of 4,5,6 etc sleep overs IMO ARENT a good idea (unless its family of course)...Especially when these parents you are talking about seem to have such a casual stand on it all ya know..I'd be worried all night long that they arent watchign my child properly! Dont worry about what they say/think....just knwo that you are doin right by your child and thats as it should be ;-)

I don't think that letting your child spend the night with someone that you know really well is even close to letting little kids run around on their own. My son has had "slumber parties" already and he's only 16 months old! It was a case of me babysitting the neighbor's 2 and 3 year old when she up and left, and he had to be at work working night shift, but they still spent the night at my house. When my son gets older, if he wants to spend the night with a friend, and I know their parents well, I will let him, if it is okay with their parents. You shouldn't feel guilty about protecting your child, but you shouldn't think that everyone else should feel the same way either. I don't let my son run around by himself, but I don't see the harm in spending the night with a friend as long as I know the parents of said friend.

I feel the same way you do. It is our job as mothers/parents to protect our children. The world is not safe. Sometimes the people we think we can trust are the ones hurting our children, not strangers. My son is almost 5 and the only time he has not been with me (sleeping over) is when he is with my mother. I trust her completely with him. I do not let him sleep over with anyone else. Not my sister, not his cousins, not his friends, no one. The only reason he gets to spend the night with my mother is that she is only 1 mile from my house. I remember watching a show about some child molesters a few years back and one of the worst things I saw was that a family had been letting their daughters spend the night with the neighbor's daughters. The parents had no idea that the father next door was molesting their daughters. This went on for years until one day, the eldest daughter turned up pregnant. She was 14 years old. She spilled the beans about the molestations. She didn't have a choice, she couldn't hide the fact that she was pregnant. Her parents were devasted. This wasn't some stranger, he was the father of a friend. He was their neighbor. He went to the same church as these people. They had known him since before the girl was born. And he was molesting their children any time they were in his home. I think you are right not to let your child out of your sight. Parents who leave their children in the toy section while they go off to shop are just stupid. It doesn't matter if your child is 4 or 14, you do not leave your children alone like that. Anyone can take them. Just recently, Kelsey Smith was taken and killed from a Target. She was 18. If people are able to do that to an adult, then doesn't it stand to reason that they are capable of doing it to a child? As a parent, why on earth would you even take the risk? I keep my son next to me at all times when we are out in public. He isn't even allowed to go to the restroom by himself. If women give me a problem about taking him in the women's room, I just tell them "Go report me, but he is coming in here with me". I see it as it is my God given duty to protect this child that has been entrusted to me. Children are a gift from God and should be cherished as such. You wouldn't toss your valuables just anywhere, so why do some parents think it is ok to be so lax with the care of their most valuable gift, their children? You are not over protective. You are a great mom who is putting the safety of her child first. Don't let those other moms out there get to you. Most of the time, their critism is just their own guilt about how they parent.

Nobody and nobody knows whats best for your child other than you and her father. And people find me paranoid too when I tell them that I wouldn't trust my daughter with anybody (she 's too small right now, but for later i mean). I feel very strongly about it and will go to any extent to protect her. Its not okay for me to let her play unsupervised and I wouldn't let her go for a sleepover unless she knows how to help herself if something goes wrong. The world is turning scarier day by day and we must do our best and always be on guard, children are innocent, we owe it to them.

I don't think you're over protective, you never can't be too cautious. Aside from your daughter is too young to take care of herself, you don't know the people she would sleep over 100%. What if one of the member of their family is a child molester? I know it's negative to think of something worse will happen and that one should not think ill of others but it is better to avoid these things than to regret it afterwards. Your child is too young to understand or unaware of such harassing situations and cannot protect herself. It is better to just ignore the comments of your neighbors. Just thank them for their concern and tell them that you are the best person to judge what is good and what is not for your child.

You are very much within your rights to feel the way you do with your girl. It isn't a safe place to bring up kids, but to let someone else do it, where you have to rely on them to look after your kid!!! I wouldn't do it either. I did it once, I was railroaded by the in-laws, who paid for a night away in a motel, just so we would leave our son there overnight. That was actually one of the last places I really wanted to leave my son anytime, but after them sucking up with a night away for my wife and I, what could we say. Anyway, my son was different for about a fortnight after that, before he got back to his usual self. He's never done it again! I think maybe I was a little worse than you in the fact I didn't even like leaving my son at kindy, lol! I've got better with that, but my son won't be sleeping over anywhere for a few years yet, and then it won't be the in-laws. Ever!!!

I agree with you. Some exceptions can be made for close relatives, or friends' families which you know and completely trust. I don't think you should feel guilty. Some parents are agreeing to sleepovers without knowing that they are actually not exercising good responsibility over the young innocent lives they should be protecting.

No. I don't think you are over protective, But I believe you really love your children a lot. And your activities show them that you love them a lot. Thats all. But at the same time, you should also be aware that you should allow your children to live alone too. This is because this will let them understand the world and let them know how to survive in the world. Because today's world is where the fittest will survive. Please be aware of that and slowly try to let your children live their life alone. After all, you cant be with them all along. Its fact and we should understand it.

I am a true believer in doing whats right for you and your family. No one knows your family and child better than you. I have a 6 yr old, and I know he's not ready for sleepovers, so its not going to happen yet. Dont let people criticize your parenting like that...you are doing great!

moms really should be protective to thier kids,, I mean thier just kids they dont know how to handle thier actions. I think as a mom you should be more open to your kids on why you are so protective about them. Tell them what is wrong and right and dont forget to listen to what they are trying to say or do.

i agree with you but some facts are unbeatable...if your kid is alone(not having brother,sister) its good to go with her at some cousin house that they have children...its my best opinion...how u know the dad of the other children is not phedophil??? so imagine best is to protect your girl because life is short and most of all children are important ONLY FOOLS SAY TO MOTHER THEY ARE TOO MUCH PROTECTIVE!! Do what you think is best !

No you are not and i appreciate your ideas and the way of caring your daughter it is ok with the boys but not with the girls in evry situation and in evry time because the world and the people it in all are not the same and the bad are more in nowadays situation than the good one.

I don't think you are overdoing it, actually you're doing just the right thing. 4 and 5 year olds get sleep overs now?? I have a friend who's the same age as I am, 21, who's mom still doesn't let her join us in our sleepovers. Even just going out to malls, if it was the ones which are farther away, her mom would not allow her.. That I think is what we call overprotective. Your child is so young to even be having sleepovers I think, they're kids, and they are meant to be at home with mom and dad at night. If these were kids who were 10, it might be considered overprotective in a way since they develop that want and social need to be in and spend more time with friends and all those stuff. You are doing just fine. You're just being a responsible parent. Don't mind them, if they think you are overprotective, just as long as you are doing what is right and you think is good for your own child then there should not be a problem.

beauty Four year old on a sleep over? OMG! I think that if it were your close family and you were there too, that would be ok...but for crying out loud! You're the mom, continue to follow your good instincts. I think you must be a young mother. You cannot allow others to disuade you from your position as MOTHER and protector of your young child. If I were you-and I am older now-I wouldn't even give an explanation any longer. I would say NO and leave it at that. If they pressure you for details walk away with confidence and rest in the secure knowledge that you are saving your child from grief and possible destruction and yourself from a lifetime of regret. You are one HEII of a good mom. Never let them get you down..I swear some parents are just stupid, aren't they? You are a smart and an aware bunny.

No I don't let my kids stay overnight at any bodies house especially if there is a guy there rather it be her friends dad or uncle or brother. You really never know what can happen. A lot of time people that do get molested or raped it's by someone they know. I know it's sad but true. I am just as protective as you. I don't let my daughter go to anybodies house even unless I really know them and I always talk to her.

I support any parent who is doing what they believe to be best for heir child, but I hesitate to say that a parent is a bad parent if they allow their child to stay over at someone else's home and I certainly do not put it in the same category as allowing a child to look at toys in the store while the parent shops elsewhere. Overnights are ok for my kids, provided I know the people whose house they are staying at and I trust them. I also talk often to my children about what goes on in their lives and if there was ever a hint of anything improper occuring at a home, the overnights would end at that home. Unfortunately, bad things can happen any time of day. Your child does not need to be sleeping over for a bad person in the home to hurt them. Just my thoughts, but as I said you know what is best for your family and you have every right to do as you please without being critisized for it, but do not judge those who disagree wither.

My kids were allowed sleepovers since they were old enough to ask, but I always knew the parents and I have had my fair share of sleepovers, too. Probably 20 or so, I'd guess, over the years. And no, I didn't let them hang out at the toy section while I shopped. I find that rather offensive. Allowing strangers access to your child or not supervising your child, is a lot different than allowing them to build relationships and learn to trust people and enjoy socializing. Statistically, your kids are in more danger from a family member or trusted authority figure (pastor, teacher, coach) than they are from a stranger, btw.