PARENTS LOSE SLEEP OVER SLEEPOVERS
From ‘You’ll turn lesbian’ to ‘You’ll watch porn’ youngsters in the city say parents come up with absurd reasons to stop them from going for a sleepover
Girls in the city say that it can be difficult getting parents to let them go to a sleepover at a friend’s house. While it is natural for parents to worry about the safety of their children, sometimes, say girls, the reasons they give are absurd, if not outrightly ridiculous. Here are some of them:
It can change your sexual orientation: “My parents have never allowed me for sleepovers. My mother thinks spending the night with girls will turn me into a lesbian. I tried to dissuade her fears, but she won’t hear it,” says Aarti Sharma*, who studies in Miranda House.
It’s dangerous: Shikha Verma*, 20, tells us,“My father thinks somebody will rob my friend’s house or kidnap me and sell my organs, and this is why its a big NO to sleepovers.” “Everything that we do, from crossing the road to breathing Delhi’s air, we face danger. Why ban a sleepover?” she asks.
Its not really a ‘sleep’ over: “My mom says no because nobody really sleeps at sleepovers. We stay up before exams too. You don’t need to be at someone else’s place to sleep late or stay up,” says Tamanna Dey*, 19, a student of IP College.
Encourages indecent acts: “My parents believe if left alone we’ll watch porn. But why would I go to a friend’s place to watch something accessible on my phone anywhere!” explains Rita Jain*, 22. Another DU student, Shweta Mishra* says, “Whenever I ask my parents to allow me for a sleepover, they say no because they think we’ll smoke or consume alcohol. They don’t realise that my friend’s parents will be there too and they can call us anytime.”
Don’t know how the other family is: “My parents don’t let me go for sleepovers because they don’t know my friend’s family. Ironically, they allow me to host sleepovers, but how do they expect this to work out, considering my friend’s parents don’t know my family either?” reasons Kavya Gupta*, 21.
(*names have been changed on request for protection from parents’ wrath)
My father thinks somebody will rob my friend’s house or kidnap me and sell my organs, and this is why its a big NO to sleepovers SHIKHA VERMA, STUDENT
My parents believe if left alone we’ll watch porn. But why would I go to a friend’s place to watch something accessible on my phone anywhere RITA JAIN, STUDENT
My parents don’t let me go for sleepovers because they don’t know my friend’s family. Ironically, they allow me to host sleepovers. What logic is that? KAVYA GUPTA, STUDENT
My mother thinks spending the night with girls will turn me into a lesbian. I tried to tell her that people don’t turn homosexual suddenly, but she won’t hear any of it AARTI SHARMA, STUDENT
My mom says no because nobody really sleeps at sleepovers. We stay up before exams too. You don’t need to be at someone else’s place to sleep late TAMANNA DEY, STUDENT