The six rules for sleepovers

By Ellie Malt

A friend of mine recently vowed never again to host another sleepover after her husband scared a gaggle of eight-year-olds while sleepwalking to the fridge in his dressing gown. Personally, we’ve enjoyed hosting sleepovers in our family and most have gone fairly smoothly (with one notable exception when the dog punctured an inflatable mattress). Assuming any pets are safely under control and having learned from experience, here are our key rules:

Choose your night carefully

Inevitably, the kids will end up getting to sleep (quite considerably) later than usual and feeling very tired the next day. In addition, sleeping at someone else’s house is a big deal for any child and the experience may become overwhelming at some point. The school holidays are the perfect time to take the plunge and the summer holidays are even better as children can play outside and everything feels a bit less formal.

Plan ahead with beds and bedding

You can minimise tiresome negotiations by agreeing the sleeping arrangements well before bedtime. Aside from the obvious point of checking the kids all have the relevant sheets, sleeping bags and pillows, it’s also worth policing the exact layout. Without supervision, groups of girls are fond of laying out mattresses in a pecking order with the coolest nabbing the best spots! Equally, some more sensitive children will prefer a nice, quiet corner.

Explain any house rules at the beginning

It’s easier to outline your main expectations to the kids at the start. Things like bedtimes, devices and what they can watch, how early they can get up etc. It’s meant to be fun, so make some allowance for chatting after lights out but with a time limit. It’s also helpful to show junior guests where the bathroom is and where to find your bedroom in case they need help urgently in the night.

Prepare some activities

A sleepover can feel like a very long playdate and while it’s great for helping raise your child’s friendships to the next level, having at least three planned activities can smooth out any initial awkwardness. Have suggestions up your sleeve for one physical activity and at least one more sedentary activity for calming everyone down. If you talk to your child about what they might like to do, you can make sure you have any relevant materials.

Arrange an early collection

Be clear with parents on the time your young guest(s) should be picked up in the morning. If it’s their child’s first time staying with you, it’s far better if it’s sooner rather than later to avoid having a tired and grumpy child hanging about with your tired and grumpy child on the day after the sleepover.