I’m a child psychiatrist and I’d never let my kids go to a sleepover – people think I’m dramatic but I have my reasons | The Sun

WHEN it comes to raising kids, people have different ideas of what it means to be a good parent.

Some parents are stricter than others in certain realms but more relaxed in others.

A child psychiatrist named Doctor Mitnaul, who goes by @doctormitnaul on TikTok, revealed five things he would never let his six children do – and one of them caught viewers by total surprise.

He first said he forbids both cellphones and televisions in the bedroom.

He also warned against talking negatively about your spouse in front of your children or refusing to give your child chores and responsibilities.

The fifth thing that Doctor Mitnaul said he’d never do, however, was the most surprising: “I would never, ever, ever, ever let them have a sleepover.”

This one left viewers curious, so the doctor decided to make a second video explaining his reasoning behind the rule.

“When I say sleepovers, I mean the intentional grouping of kids around the same age, with the expressed intent of just having a great time, usually loading up on candy, playing video games, watching things until the wee hours of the night.”

He said this was different than cousins staying with an aunt or uncle, or grandparents having the kids overnight.

In those instances, the doctor believes the kids would likely have the same nighttime and daytime routine as usual.

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“One of the biggest things is: often the stories that come in to us about trauma, about exposures, about inappropriate things in the lives of kids, are often at the corners of experiences for our kids.

“And by corners I mean those places where there is less adult supervision, where there’s a group of kids together doing impulsive things or things they wouldn’t otherwise do under the gaze of a loving adult.”

He said these settings provide opportunities for children to get in over their heads.

“If my intention is for my child to have wonderful and close relationships with their peers and for me to have a close relationship with my child, I’m going to make sure they do that in a situation and time that is most likely to be profitable for them, and less likely to leave them scarred with trauma.”

Some viewers supported his claims:

"Sleepovers are either fun experiences or tragic ones. I won't take that risk with my kids because if something bad happens, you can never undo it," one person wrote.

But others thought he was being dramatic:

"Social worker here: I support sleepovers with people you know well. Kids are more at risk with their own family members than at sleepovers," a second chimed in.

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