Lunchbox had what he’s calling the craziest story of his parenting life after his 7-year-old son went on his very first sleepover.
At first, everything seemed fine. Lunchbox didn’t hear a word from the other family until 6:40 a.m. Saturday morning when the doorbell suddenly rang. When he and his wife went downstairs, they couldn’t believe who was standing there. Their son, backpack on his shoulders, casually home from his sleepover. When his son woke up and saw daylight outside, he thought it meant it was time to go home. Without telling anyone, he grabbed his bag and left. He didn’t take a ride, either. He walked 2.2 miles on his own. He used the same route he takes to school, going from his friend’s house to the school and then back home.
Along the way, he saw people out walking and running. They said “good morning” to him, and he politely said it back. Lunchbox was shocked no one stopped to ask why a 7-year-old was walking alone that early in the morning. Meanwhile, the parents hosting the sleepover had no idea he’d left. They woke up just five minutes earlier to find him missing and were frantically looking for him, even considering whether he might have been sleepwalking.
Lunchbox admitted his son did nothing “wrong," he thought he was just being responsible by coming home when it was light out. The kid even said he ran part of the way because he saw lightning and was a little scared, adding that his legs felt tired when he got back.
Now, Lunchbox knows he has to have two big talks with his son:
- Proud Dad Moment: He’s impressed his son knew his way home.
- Parenting Lesson: Next time, he has to tell an adult before leaving anywhere.