Sleepovers—love them or hate them, kids are always begging for them. Whether it is just a single friend who spends the night or a rambunctious birthday party, sleepovers are a highlight of childhood. No matter the age or gender and whether it’s your child’s first or 15th sleepover, there are a few simple tips to help ensure success.
Sometimes, just planning a few simple activities is best.
“Don’t over plan—most of the time, the kids just want time to make up stuff to do and just hang out,” Taryn MacGee, Liberty mother of three, says.
Over planning can stress you out and lead to problems. Let the kids decide what they want to do, even if that is watching a movie, eating junk food and harassing the dog.
However, some circumstances—especially birthday parties—call for planning more activities, which can even save a sticky situation.
“Having more than enough activities planned is helpful, because sometimes things don’t take as long as you expect, or aren’t fun and get dismissed before they barely start,” Misty Black, Liberty mother of two, says. “Having several ideas to choose from or a Plan B is helpful.”
Another tip is to save a few special activities to do for sleepovers, things that the kids don’t do every day.
“Saving special things like the Easy Bake Oven and the glitter markers allows our girls to have something to look forward to,” says Ashley Campbell, Kansas City mother of two. “I think sleepovers and friend time, at their age, are a big deal and tons of fun, so we try to make sleepovers a big deal, a special treat of sorts.”
Especially with younger kids, tears at bedtime can be an issue. And every parent knows that when one kid starts crying, others are soon to follow.
“We did the same bedtime routine that we always do and included the other girls. I think following our usual routine allowed my girls to stay calm and therefore allowed the other girls to stay calm,” Campbell says.
For older kids, two simple tips can help a sleepover.
“Preview all movies you ‘sort of’ remember from the past to avoid awkward surprises. And collect all phones before bed—this saves numerous problems, from texting issues to phone calls home and forces them to spend time together,” MacGee says.
And when you have lots of boys, sometimes there is a simple solution.
“Chips, pizza, soda, Xbox and a bedroom downstairs where I can’t hear them is the perfect sleepover,” Stacey Kromeich, Liberty mother of four boys, says.
Jennifer Higgins is a mother of two girls from Kearney and is a veteran at sleepovers.