We all want to be the fun mom. You know the kind of mom I mean – all your children’s friends will love you because you’re fun and easygoing. Even though your kids might think it’s slightly embarrassing, being a fun mom can instantly make you a hit with all the other kids. You might even find that some of the other mothers come and ask you for advice or want to know what your secret is!
There are plenty of chances you will get to show just how fun you can be, but one of the best opportunities is at your children’s slumber parties and sleepovers.
While all their friends are staying the night at your house, you will be able to pull out all the stops to show just how fun your parties can be!
So, ready to organize a killer sleepover for your kids that everyone will enjoy and remember for a long time to come? Here are some great tips that can help you do just that!
Make Sure Your Child Is Ready for A Sleepover
If your child is still at a young age, then they might not be completely ready to have their first sleepover. Most kids are ready for sleepovers with their friends once they turn seven or eight. Before that age, they might be able to cope with a very small sleepover with their cousins or other young family members whom they know quite well.
If you do try to host a sleepover before your child is ready, they might get agitated later in the evening, especially if their usual bedtime routine is disrupted. If you aren’t too sure that your child is completely ready, it might be better to start with a “half sleepover.”
This is when your kids have their friends round for some tea and to watch a movie, but then everyone leaves at around 9 p.m. This will help your child build up to be ready for a full sleepover.
Keep The Guest List Small
It is best to try and keep the guest list as small as possible. This is mainly for your benefit as it will be a lot easier to keep control of a small group of 4 to 5 kids compared to a gang of 7 or more!
It also means that you can give each child your complete attention, and you won’t have to ignore anyone if one of the kids starts crying or throwing a tantrum. Not only that, though, but it will also mean that there is a lot less chance of arguments and disagreements starting between the kids.
Plus, it also means that the group will find it easier to come to a decision as they won’t have to come to a compromise to ensure that everyone is happy about what they do.
Plan It on A Good Night
The night that you hold your sleepover is critical. Obviously, it really isn’t a good idea to have a sleepover on a school night. Kids rarely get plenty of sleep at slumber parties, so they will probably be exhausted the following day.
If they must go to school or nursery, you can expect a lot of tears and tantrums! And their teacher won’t be too happy about them turning up to school or nursery completely exhausted!
So, it’s always best to stick to a Friday or Saturday night for your sleepovers. This will also be better for you too as you won’t have to go into the office the next day after a night of being kept up by the kids!
Listen To the Other Parents
Some of the kids’ parents might send some very specific instructions to them. This will be the case if a child has certain allergies or food intolerances, such as celiac disease. They might give you a list of foods that their child can and can’t eat.
As you can probably tell, it is crucial that you take these instructions seriously. Otherwise, the child could get quite ill. Other instructions that the parents might give you could be related to medicine or their child’s bedtime routine.
For instance, one child might not be able to get to sleep without a bedtime story. No matter what the instructions may be, it’s really important to follow them, even if they seem to be banal or pointless. If you don’t, you might find that you have a huge tantrum on your hands and you will only have yourself to blame!
Be Careful with The Food You Serve
You will need to feed the kids during their sleepover. If they come over early in the evening, you should cook them a meal for their dinner. If the sleepover is for a special occasion, such as someone’s birthday, then you might want to treat all the kids to a takeout!
It’s also a good idea to provide some snacks throughout the evening so that the kids have something to munch on while they watch a movie. Plus, it stops anyone from complaining about an empty stomach!
Just remember that all the food you serve should be healthy and free from high levels of sugar, salt, and fat. If you feed the kids food that is full of sugar and fat, you might find that it is almost impossible to get them into bed and to sleep! Not sure what to offer them? Some good ideas for snacks include the following.
- Homemade potato chips. To make your own potato chips, slice some potatoes very finely and then sprinkle them with oil. Pop them in the oven to bake. You can season them with whatever spice or flavoring you prefer!
- Oatmeal. Giving kids a small bowl of oatmeal can help them sleep better through the night. Add a spoonful of jam for an extra sweet treat!
- Frozen Yoghurt Bites. To make these, you just need to pop some berries into an ice cube tray and then top up with a dollop of natural yogurt. Pop the tray in the freezer for a few hours until they are frozen. Pop the bites out of the tray and serve!
Enjoy Some Sleepover Games
You will need to entertain the kids throughout the evening. After all, you don’t want to ever let them get bored – you never know what they might get up to when boredom hits!
Early in the evening, it’s a good idea to plan some games that are quite active as these will help to tire them out so that they are ready for bed later on. “Blind Man’s Bluff” is a really great game that kids of all ages will love to play.
“Pin the Tail on the Donkey” is another great party game that most kids really enjoy. If the weather is nice, you might want to let the kids play out in the garden. All that fresh air and running around is sure to make it easier for them to fall asleep at night!
Choose Relaxing Evening Activities
As the evening draws on and it gets closer to bedtime, you will need to stop the kids from being so active and will have to have some great relaxing activity ideas up your sleeve.
You might want to find a family-friendly movie that they can all watch with a big bowl of popcorn. Alternatively, you might want to get a book that you can read to the whole gang.
Keep Some Spare Toiletries
You should expect that some children might forget something important for their night staying at yours. Often, kids will forget to bring a toothbrush. So, it’s a good idea to get some spare toothbrushes just in case.
It’s worth getting a few other spare toiletries that the kids can use if they ever need anything that they haven’t forgotten. One child might even forget their pajamas, so it’s worth having a spare clean set available if anyone doesn’t have anything to put on when it gets to bedtime.
If you don’t have something spare, like an extra toothbrush, then this could cause some tears!
If you follow all these steps, you will find that all the kids who come over will have a really enjoyable sleepover. They’ll go back to their moms and tell them how much fun you were! And I’m sure your own kids will have a fabulous time as well!
