I knew that one day this moment would come, but that's not why I feel less nervous. This will be the first night away from home of my oldest daughter, six years old.
As usual, after six or seven years of age, schools schedule an excursion in which the child spends a night away from home. For many it is the first night they sleep alone, without mom and dad, and in another place that is not their home or that of any family member.
How should we face this situation? Do we let it or we don't let it go? Whatever our opinion, we should not force or impede it. We can help you think about it better (telling you who will go, how everything will be), but The decision is not ours, but the child's. And as parents, we have to accept and support whatever you decide.
Although parents believe that our son is not ready yet or on the contrary we would like him to be, it is the child himself who must decide. There are children who are very excited about the idea of sleeping outside the home, others who quite the opposite, and most, who are excited about daytime activities, but at night they will miss dad and mom, as is the case with my daughter.
My daughter's first reaction was negative, to imagine sleeping away from her family in an unknown place frightened her. But then her friends were getting excited and finally decided to go. So, after checking the suitcase several times and a thousand recommendations, today you will spend the night outside.
I must say that I find it quite difficult to fit this first sign of independence, as will happen to many parents, but at the same time I liked to see a certain hint of maturity when overcoming their initial fear. And of course, by reflecting and deciding, herself, to go. Sometimes we are the parents who transfer our own anguish to their decisions, but our mission is to help them grow and mature.
The first night away from home It is a very important experience for the child. Sleeping away from their parents and in a place that is not their home marks the first step towards their autonomy.
