From around the age of five or six, children can become quite obsessed with the idea of sleepovers. It’s the fantasy of late nights in a different house with their best friend, coupled with a sudden sense of being independent. There are a few tips that might make talking about / preparing for sleepovers easier:
· Remember that YOU are in charge. If you are uncomfortable with your child not being at home for a night, explain to them that it is something they can do when they are older.
· Don’t let your fear of upsetting your child outweigh your own feeling of discomfort – if you don’t want them staying overnight at a friend’s house, then they don’t do it.
· If you are happy to let them stay over, help them to prepare. Remind them that their nightly routine (brushing teeth, going to the loo before bed etc.) will still happen, just in a different house.
· Reassure your child that they can call you at any stage in the night if they are upset or scared and make sure that same message comes from the parents having them over.
· Be prepared for crankiness the next day, because of a late night and early morning.
· Try to keep sleepovers to a minimum so that they are a treat and so disruption to your child’s sleeping pattern doesn’t become a regular event.
