What does Ellen White write about...
Adventistische Schriften über: "From what age are children allowed to stay overnight elsewhere without their parents?"
Answer
The Scriptures strongly advise against letting children stay overnight with others or at distant places without parental supervision, as this can negatively affect their character. Especially during the formative years between ten and eighteen, youths often seek freedom but still need the vigilant guidance of their parents to resist worldly influences. It is emphasized that it is safer to keep children near the family home to protect them from harmful habits and the loss of the home bond.
Dangers of Overnight Stays with Others
»Neighbors may allow their children to come to your house to spend the evening and night with your children. Here lies a test and a decision for you: either you take the risk of offending your neighbors by sending their children home, or you give in to them and let them stay overnight with your children, thereby exposing them to the risk of being taught knowledge that would be a lifelong curse for them. To keep my children from corruption, I have not allowed them to sleep in the same bed or the same room with other boys.«
Influence of Visits Far Away
»It is wrong to allow children to travel far on their own expense without being accompanied by their parents or guardians. It has a false influence on the children. They begin to think they are of great importance and that certain privileges belong to them... I was made aware of cases of parents who had good, obedient children and, in full confidence in certain families, left their children alone to visit these friends far away. From that time there was a complete change in the behavior and character of their children.«
Vigilance in the Age of Ten to Eighteen
»Especially in the age of ten to eighteen they tend to think that it cannot hurt to attend worldly gatherings of young companions. But experienced Christian parents can see the danger. They know the particular temperament of their children and understand the influence of these things on their minds, and out of the desire for their salvation they should keep them from these exciting amusements.«
Risks When Parental Supervision Is Lacking
»I am instructed to warn parents whose children lack firmness of principle or a clear Christian experience not to send them from home to far‑away places to be absent for many months or perhaps years... It is safer and much better to send such youths to schools and sanatoria that are nearest to their home.«
Original Sources (English)
Stephan Krol
Founder of EGW Vision
Why I built EGW Vision
Hello, I am Stephan Krol. I started this Ellen White website to make the writings of Ellen G. White and the Adventist pioneers easier to access for everyone.
EGW Vision helps you find topics, statements, and quotes faster, especially when many original sources are not yet fully available in your language. The tool searches semantically, groups relevant content by topic, and presents matching results as clearly as possible in your language.
My hope is that this tool supports personal Bible study, strengthens trust in the original sources, and helps more people discover the message of these writings with clarity, depth, and joy.

