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Would you let your 19yr old daughter share a double bed with her boyfriend?

(96 Posts)
gramps Tue 24-Jun-14 18:18:05

That is something which seems more the case than in the past. This is a young lady going to college next year and very much in love with her boyfriend of the same age.
They are both lovely people and I see no wrong in it for them providing safety is preserved!

Ana Tue 24-Jun-14 20:51:03

Going? Where have you been for the past 20 years or so, merlot? confused

I'm really amazed by some of the views expressed on this thread, it's as though I'm in a time-warp!

Stansgran Tue 24-Jun-14 20:59:14

I'm in a time warp. If they are that in love a night on the sofa won't hurt. I refused to be embarrassed in my own home and a young man I didn't know well screwing my DD would embarrass me. Their husbands still joke about being relegated to the garage(not true)

Ana Tue 24-Jun-14 21:02:25

Who says they're going to be 'screwing'? That's just what you imagine they'll be doing, Stansgran (and others). A young couple can actually sleep together without having sex.

kittylester Tue 24-Jun-14 21:10:13

You have a short memory Ana if by couple you actually mean 'a couple'.

DD2 went on holiday and shared a room with a male friend before she met DSiL. He is now Godfather to one of her daughters!

Riverwalk Tue 24-Jun-14 21:12:07

what if the daughter is someone else's asked petallus

And that's what was always foremost in my mind - I wouldn't have allowed a teenage daughter to bring home various chaps to share her bed, so I applied the same rule to my sons.

It was more putting myself in the shoes of the girl's mother.

It wasn't a big deal or a major talking point .... that's just the way it was, visitors went into the spare room!

merlotgran Tue 24-Jun-14 21:13:57

I'm not in a time warp, Ana but I would feel uncomfortable about two sixteen year olds sleeping together in a room probably next to mine.

They may not have gone as far as having sex in their relationship but surely 'heavy petting' as we used to call it is better explored away from the home atmosphere. We all know it will eventually lead to full sex.

What the eye doesn't see the heart doesn't grieve over and making sure they are aware of the risks and are taking precautions is more responsible than providing them with the bed to do it in because 'they're going to do it anyway.'

glassortwo Tue 24-Jun-14 21:25:43

I think at that age they are adults and far rather they together and are at home than somewhere else.

My MIL bought our double bed for a wedding present and wouldn't allow it to be delivered until we were on honeymoon. grin We had the flat for 6 months before the wedding to decorate if you see what I mean wink

Purpledaffodil Tue 24-Jun-14 21:46:57

Going steady is now deemed to be " in a relationship". People not in one are "single", which is no longer the opposite of married as it was. Apparently the big test is if you call and are called the boyfriend or girlfriend of the other person. As has come up on another thread, modern usage is a minefield smile.
We would not allow sons to sleep with girlfriends as we had a much younger daughter. However it gradually crept in after they were at uni but only when they were in a relationship, see above. I think encouraging a sexual relationship in 16 year olds is foolhardy and irresponsible. Sex can make babies, a 19 year old could cope with this, a16 year old probably couldn't.
Apart from this, I think it much depends on what parents are comfortable with.

Atqui Tue 24-Jun-14 21:50:13

It's a bit strange that the question is 'would you?' rather than 'Did you?' Was I unusual in allowing my daughters to sleep with their boyfriends in our home when they were 18 ish.?They are in their thirties now , so it was quite some time ago.

Ana Tue 24-Jun-14 21:57:14

Apparently we are regarded as unusual, Atqui. But I do remember a work colleague, the same age as me, assuming that I, too, had never had sex or left home until I was married.

Paula8 Tue 24-Jun-14 22:30:53

I don't think I would Gramps but I am sure that that will stop them doing what they want to do

All you can do is hope that you have taught your children to do the right thing at the right time.

ninathenana Tue 24-Jun-14 22:44:18

Yes, I did. They were both 20 at the time and the boy had been a regular visitor to our house for about 6mths before the issue was raised. He is now her husband.
Her brother was 17 at the time. It hasn't happened with him as at 23 he's never had a girlfriend.

susieb755 Tue 24-Jun-14 23:03:56

Hypocritical of me, but no, I wouldn't - yes, it goes on, but the same as they don't like to acknowledge that their parents and grandparents might have a sex life, I dont want to overhear/think about theirs !

janerowena Tue 24-Jun-14 23:11:57

Being one of four girls, each with our own room, and parents who slept apart, each with their own, even though the house was huge it meant a lack of guest accommodation when we needed friends of any sex to stay the night. My mother couldn't have cared less, she said rather we were somewhere safe and not likely to be done for 'lewd behaviour' in public, and she didn't want young untidy males sprawled all over her sitting room in the morning when she came down. So we took that to mean she wanted them in our rooms, and she quietly bought us all sleeping bags and said that it would be wise of us to use them if our father should investigate. Which he did one morning. It only took him about two years to realise what was going on, he was a bit slow on the uptake, but as we peered at him innocently from our beds with our boyfriends on the other sides of the room in their sleeping bag, we just said it was Mummy's idea. Big row, but somehow she won!

However, when I look back, I wonder why she didn't make us double up and sling the males together.

I just asked the children where they wanted to sleep, and told them to sort out bedding. It was such a minefield when I was growing up, I didn't want that for my children. They appear to have emerged from it unscathed - so far.

Coolgran65 Wed 25-Jun-14 05:46:42

My son had his own flat hundreds of miles away. (after uni) He came home on a visit bringing his girlfriend of about 6 months. She is now his wife for 10 years.

I didn't ask about arrangements.
I set up spare bedroom for the two of them with towels and also a girly dressing gown. And said, the other bedroom is there if either of you want it.

NfkDumpling Wed 25-Jun-14 07:57:05

The first time we met future DSiL2 was when he emerged from her bedroom one morning. We knew of his existence but didn't know he'd come home with her. She'd have been 19 at the time. I remember not being shocked and being surprised at my own reaction.

NfkDumpling Wed 25-Jun-14 07:57:58

(Her being DD2)

KatGransnet (GNHQ) Wed 25-Jun-14 08:43:12

Just to say we've moved this thread from Webchats to Ask a gran. Thanks.

hildajenniJ Wed 25-Jun-14 09:37:01

I let my 18yr old daughter's boyfriend stay in her room. They had been going steady for about a year then. I had no problem with it, they were both adults after all, and anything I said against it would very likely have been ignored. Her boyfriend is now my SiL and the father of my four beautiful grandchildren.

Ariadne Wed 25-Jun-14 09:57:58

Of course I would let them - and I did!

Stansgran Wed 25-Jun-14 10:08:47

@Ana perhaps we had higher sex drives in our dayblush

thatbags Wed 25-Jun-14 10:13:53

What ariadne said.

Except it was a single bed. They didn"t seem to mind.

thatbags Wed 25-Jun-14 10:15:06

Left the back door unlocked too, so they could come in after the rest of us had gone to bed. They knew to be quiet and they were.

Anne58 Wed 25-Jun-14 10:27:57

Why is it that the minute I see the phrase "going steady" I picture a young couple holding hands and and walking very slowly and carefully as if they were taking part in an egg and spoon race?

Eloethan Wed 25-Jun-14 10:50:27

phoenix that picture you conjured up made me smile.

In answer to the OP, yes.

Having been too "controlling" a mother when I was younger, I now see that it is important to trust your children's ability to do what is right for them. Mistakes and bad decisions will sometimes be made (and mature adults are not immune to this), but they will, hopefully, be learned from.