Tara Huck might be just another Instagram and TikTok influencer to some people, but she’s a mother above all else – and like other mothers, she has her fair share of unpopular parenting opinions. So, she decided to do what any other influencer would do and share those unpopular opinions with her following — including her opinion on sleepovers.
She doesn’t speak during the video, but her opinions appear on the screen as she lip-syncs the words ‘start a riot’ – which were lyrics to a song playing in the background. One of the unpopular opinions was that she doesn’t limit screen time for her children once they finish all their chores and school homework.
Another unpopular opinion was that her children aren’t going to eat if they don’t like what she makes. And while both of those caused a bit of a stir online, there was one opinion that really riled up the crowd – “I don’t allow sleepovers.” The moment she posted the video, users took to the comments to pick a side.
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The video was posted in 2021 but is even more relevant today as parents grow concerned about what might happen at someone else’s home. And for an account that regularly received 100k-200k views per video, this one totaled more than 1.7 million views on TikTok and more than 3.0 million on Instagram.
“I feel like kids are most vulnerable when they’re sleeping. I’m just trying to eliminate one very small factor that could potentially harm them. If they could come out of their childhood without having had a very traumatic experience, whatever that experience could be, well, that’s all I’m trying to do,” she told TODAY.
In a separate TikTok video, uploaded two weeks later, she spoke about the hate she received over her opinion – adding that people were making troll accounts, sending nasty messages and even death threats. All because she had a personal opinion on how she believed her children should be raised.
She went on to explain that, while she doesn’t allow sleepovers, she does still allow them to spend time at a friend’s house – it’s not like she doesn’t let them do anything or go anywhere. She also cited the ‘too many’ factors that could put her children in harm’s way – factors that she doesn’t have any control over.
So, What Are the Pros and Cons of Sleepovers?
The debate has been a popular one for many, many years – should children be allowed to attend sleepovers? At the end of the day, it’s something each individual parent needs to ask themself and is something that most parents will have a different opinion on – there’s really no right or wrong answer.
With that said, there is definitely a list of pros and cons that come with sleepovers, and – no matter what side of the spectrum you land on – it’s important to be aware of each pro and con. For example, there are a lot of concerns that come with it – food, gun/weapon ownership, sexual abuse, drugs, alcohol, etc.
On the flip side, there are a lot of benefits that come with sleepovers. For example, there’s the social aspect of it – allowing children to play independently without being closely monitored by an adult, such as on a playground. It also allows kids to put some of the skills that they don’t normally practice to use.
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Every child is different – some of them might want to attend the sleepover, some of them might not be interested, and some of them might be interested but not feel comfortable. That’s why it’s important to understand your individual child and ensure their needs and desires are being met – safely, of course.
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