Successful Sleepovers

Do you lie awake in bed expecting bleary-eyed youngsters to emerge at a hideously early hour in the morning, like grouchy little monsters from a horror movie? From the moment you finally succumb to that constant begging to invite your child’s friend for a sleepover, you’ll be left with a hundred and two things to sort and worry about. What if they fall out with each other? What if they don’t get any sleep? And, short of locking yourself away in the bedroom with a good book and a permanent ‘Do not Disturb’ sign on your door, what are your options? Simply this. Remember that children regard sleepovers as a chance to create their own little camp, where rules are broken and staying up way past normal bedtime is usual. Who wants to deprive them of this pleasure? Well, okay. Let’s look at it another way. How can we make sleepovers easier on us poor parents?

Let’s start with the best time to start.
What age should sleepovers start?

Of course this depends on the individual child. Only you will know if they are ready or not. If your child is wary of different surroundings and insists on
night-lights, bedtime stories and a particular routine; if he or she suffers regularly from disturbed sleep; it may be better to start sleepovers when they are a bit older. On the other hand, if your child adapts well to change, can
dress, comb hair and brush teeth without help, and as long you are confident that they will be happy and safe, a sleepover will enhance life learning skills and create fond memories.

But are you ready for a sleepover?

The timing is crucial for you, too. You wouldn’t plan a sleepover the night before a major presentation at work or an important family event. As an alternative, you may wish to test the water and let your child invite their ‘mate til late’. They can enjoy all the benefits of a sleepover - munch on tasty snacks and snuggle on the sofa to watch a DVD before getting ready for bed by brushing teeth and slipping on pyjamas. Then, as the sun starts to set, arrange for the friends to be collected by their parents.

Top Tips for hosting a sleepover

Despite peer pressure from a collection of youngsters, remember you’re in control, so establish rules and guidelines, and gently make sure the
children adhere to them.
To prevent children creeping aimlessly around the house searching for the loo, give them a quick tour of the house and tell them which rooms are off limits.
Stock up on finger foods such as crunchy carrots, bite size savoury snacks, cherry tomatoes and popcorn. Avoid sugary treats & drinks that provide an unwanted energy rush, with perhaps the exception of a mug of warm milky cocoa.
Plan a number of activities to ensure that no-one gets bored. Dig out board games, buy a selection of comics to read or let them give each other makeovers.
Rent an easy-watching DVD. Classic Disney movies are an old favourite and will ease the children into a feel-good mood before they settle to sleep. Be aware that a friend may bring a DVD that you consider inappropriate. To
save embarrassing your child, calmly tidy away the disk but assure the friend that it will be returned at going-home time.
Arrange a time for lights out. And stick to it. This is often the time the children love most. They whisper and giggle at each other’s stories. Call a truce and allow them some whisper-time for a set period before going to sleep. Keep a
light on in the hallway until it’s time for you yourself to settle down to sleep.
Reassure apprehensive children by making the night fun. This will distract them. If they continue to feel uncomfortable, allow them to phone their parents, if need be, arrange for the child to be collected.
Prepare yourself for an early start. You will be rewarded for pre-AM organisation as you are bombarded with hungry requests for rounds of toasts and fruit juice.
As an extra twist to a sleepover, why not let the children sleep outside? Pitch
up in the safety of the back garden with sleeping bags, torches and flasks of hot chocolate.

If your child is going on a sleepover:

Many parents feel more apprehensive than their children. They search for reassurance from the host parents and hope that his or her child will be able to cope. So make sure you get to know the other parents and chat to them to check that they at least know about the invitation! Once away, if your child feels uncomfortable, make sure they know that it’s alright to call you at any time and that you will come and collect if necessary. And finally, remember this: most children love a sleepover - providing everybody gets at least 20 winks!