General Conference Predictions

[il Padrino Ute]

Agreed. We would hang out at kmart for hours.

I get the blue light thing, but red? Was this K-mart located in the neighborhood where hookers lived?

[ewth8tr]

It is a good rule. We do allow sleepovers with cousins.

LOL, growing up, my sleepovers with friends consisted of pizza, movies and TPing peoples houses, while the ones with my cousins consisted of getting high and egging houses/cars.

[ewth8tr]

I get the blue light thing, but red? Was this K-mart located in the neighborhood where hookers lived?

It WAS California.

[Uncle Ted]

We're hosting a sleepover Friday night for Teo's 11th birthday.

This will be the rundown from 3D's quadfecta of sleepover fun:

Eat pizza - yes
Stay up late playing board games or video games - yes
Go swimming - maybe
Sneak out at night and TP a friend's house - no

We'll also serve them breakfast.

I have an infrared web camera watching our back gate which gets recorded to a computer. One night at around 2:30am in the morning a bunch of 5th graders TP'ed our house. While watching the video my wife recognized a few of the kids from our neighborhood so I emailed a sample video to their parents and told they could watch the rest of the video on my facebook account if somehow my yard was still messed up in three hours. Two dads and their embarrassed sons showed up about 30 minutes later.

[il Padrino Ute]

It WAS California.

Good point. Those unwashed infidels there were/are all about sin.

[TripletDaddy]

It WAS California.

Back off, man.

I was talking about that red oversized glowing Icee cup.

Icee: the coolest drink in town.

[LA Ute]

LOL, growing up, my sleepovers with friends consisted of pizza, movies and TPing peoples houses, while the ones with my cousins consisted of getting high and egging houses/cars.

Also LOL. I guess there's no perfect approach. Maybe (gasp!) parents just have to be very attentive and careful and wise. This is not a new thing, as far as I know.

[old_gregg]

I have an infrared web camera watching our back gate which gets recorded to a computer.

That's an awesome story, but have you had experiences warranting an infrared camera??

[il Padrino Ute]

That's an awesome story, but have you had experiences warranting an infrared camera??

Does anyone really need a reason to have an infrared camera...other than the fact that it is an awesomely cool toy?

[Jeff Lebowski]

For those that wont allow their kids to go on sleep overs, will you allow them to:

1. For those with sons: Go on Scout camp outs or to Scout Camp?

and

2. For those with daughters: Allow them to go to girl's camp?

Because I feel that they could be exposed to the same stuff at both of those.

It is not a matter of cutting out every activity that has an element of risk. It is simply altering the sleepover activity so that most of the fun remains while eliminating most of the risk. Win-win.

As for campouts, that is a poor comparison. As a scout leader I never cared about going to sleep before the scouts did because I knew they weren't going anywhere. Too afraid of bears and getting lost at night. A good scary story prior to bed also helped provide some insurance.

One year when I was YM president we planned a joint YM/YW trip to Moab. It was suggested by some of the leaders that it would simpler if we got one campsite and just tried to "be careful" watching the kids at night. I insisted that we have separate campsites three miles apart and get together for meals and activities, but sleep apart. They pushed pretty hard but I told them it was a hill I was ready to die on. It just seemed like a completely unnecessary risk. I was amazed that I needed to even make the argument. It was like these people couldn't remember being teenagers with hormones. They must have also been unaware that some youth in our ward did some tent-hopping a few years prior during a handcart trek (my kids told me about it). I also know someone who was a YW leader years ago and her Laurel president got pregnant on a joint YW/YM campout. Sneaking out after the leaders/parents are asleep is the easiest thing in the world.

[CJF]

It is a good rule. We do allow sleepovers with cousins.

That is kind of funny to me. I spent a few of nights with my aunt and 5 years older cousin as my parents were preparing for our move from Oregon to Utah. During those three days I was abused multiple times by the older cousin and threatened with death if I said anything. I believed him after some of the things he did to me. I was 9. I actually repressed almost all of it until it all came crashing down when I was about 26. That is when I dealt with it and my parents were made aware.

After moving to Utah I had a best friend. To this day he is my best friend even though we don't talk all that offen anymore. From the middle of the 4th grade until we went to college, I spent all but maybe 10 Friday nights at his house. His mom and dad were my mom and dad. His brothers and sisters were my brother and sisters. The hardest I've ever cried in my life was at the funeral of his mom. We did a lot of things kids do and got into a little bit of trouble from time to time, but nothing ever serious and nothing that would make me think twice about having my child in that same situation. My aunt and cousin on the other hand.......should have been locked up.

I guess what I'm saying is no situation is completely safe. Not family, not church leaders, not school, not teachers, not friends. But if I had to give up the bond my best friend and his family and I share to make it so that I had never been abused, I wouldn't do it.

[RC Vikings]

My friend's mom used to make me sleep in my underwear even though I packed pajamas. I always thought this was weird and made me slightly uncomfortable but I always did as told. I asked my friend if his mom made him sleep in his underwear. He said no and gave me a crazy look.

Coincidentally, or maybe not, she was the first woman I ever saw naked.

Surfah you can't end the story right here. I think we need to hear more.

[BoylenOver]

My only exposure to conference is the teasers for the late night news and the front page of CB. Based on that, only two things were discussed this weekend: 1) people need to stop being dicks about sports; 2) the Church is still right about same-sex marriage being immoral and wrong.

I'm guessing sleepovers were discussed as well?

[Uncle Ted]

That's an awesome story, but have you had experiences warranting an infrared camera??

Our house was broken into about three years ago while we were out of town for thanksgiving. They smashed the back window and walked in. Fortunately the alarm system went off before they really took anything of much value. The homeowners down the street weren't so lucky. They lost over $100,000 including a gun collection that had been in his family for generations, jewelry and some very nice art.

[Moliere]

I have an infrared web camera watching our back gate which gets recorded to a computer.

Our house was broken into about three years ago while we were out of town for thanksgiving. They smashed the back window and walked in. Fortunately the alarm system went off before they really took anything of much value. The homeowners down the street weren't so lucky. They lost over $100,000 including a gun collection that had been in his family for generations, jewelry and some very nice art.

So what happens if they steal your computer?