The pajama party and its progression over time
What comes to mind when you think of a sleepover? Visions of little girls in pajamas eating pizza and talking about boys are probably most people’s thoughts. What was once the perfect birthday party for a girl entering her teens has become an almost routine party for girls as young as six. For many, the sleepover is no longer reserved for teenage girls with children who only fight to crash the party and catch girls off guard.
In some ways, it’s sad that the slumber party has lost its place in teen history because, certainly, six or seven year old girls don’t know the proper way to have a slumber party. What would a sleepover be without pizza all over the floor and kids trying to sneak in to join the party? Add that to dreams of staying out all night talking, laughing, and making fun of boys who try so hard to get in and join in on the girls’ fun because, naturally, they weren’t invited.
Throughout history, a slumber party used to be the “coming of age” for a teenage girl and usually followed or replaced a 13th birthday party. Come on, do you really think a six year old Can years do a slumber party justice? Doubtful: a group of six-year-olds will fall asleep before the fun begins. Either that or someone will get homesick and have to be driven home in the middle of the night. We should reserve the sanctity of the sleepover for those who made it famous—particularly the teens with their bunch of crafty kids trying to have fun. Now that, for everyone, is a sleepover in its true form, and its true meaning must be preserved for future generations of teens.
