A mum has sparked debate after saying she feels 'uneasy' about her son going to his friend's house for a sleepover.
The woman said her 12-year-old son has been invited to his pal's house to stay with five other friends - but she is reluctant to let him go.
The mum says she is unsure because the children will be staying in a holiday annex - which is separate from the main house.
Posting on Mumsnet, she said: "Dd is 12 and has been invited on a sleepover at a new friends house with 5 others. They are going to be staying in her friends parents holiday annex which is next door to the main house. This has made me feel a little uneasy but I am overprotective so wondering how others would feel."
Some mums responded to the post agreeing they would not be comfortable with that situation either.
One said: "No. My daughter is of similar age and I have no problem with her going out with her friends to events but not for sleepovers."
Another agreed she would need to know more first, saying: "At age 12 sleepovers are perfectly ok, I would ask about communication between the annex and the house and what security measures will be in place before I would would agree in those circumstances."
"I would be uneasy if it had its own entrance. Even more so if it is not directly connected to the main house so parents can't supervise / oversee the sleepover. If a female adult is with then - no problem," said another.
However most mums responded telling her they seen nothing wrong with the idea, with some even saying they have allowed their kids to sleep in the garden alone from a young age.
One said: "Clearly I've been doing it wrong because mine started sleepovers at 6/7. So no, at 12 this wouldn't bother me."
Another said: "Wouldn't worry me at all. Mine had a sleepover in our back garden at that age, they slept outdoors on our trampoline."
But another mum said she remembered bad experiences from sleepovers as a child.
She said: "I would allow sleepovers at 12 (probably much earlier than that), but I think I’d rather it was just 1 friend. I remember horrible experiences of people being excluded and bullied at sleepovers when I was that age.
"I’d also want to know the parents well and if I was uncomfortable I’d be volunteering my house instead."
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