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Sleepovers & Bedtime

When it comes to kids sleepovers and bedtime, there is a lot for parents to know! Determining when children are ready for their first sleepover and how to keep them safe is important, as is establishing and being consistent with a child's bedtime. Usually children's all boys or all girls sleepovers come somewhere during grade school years. Exactly when is up to the parents, and is often based on the maturity of their kids.

As a parent hosting a sleepover we want our kids to have a good time and healthy social interactions, but we need to keep an eye on things as well. (Did a child bring something inappropriate to share with the other children?) A sleepover means that as a parent you are responsible for your child's friends, so it's up to you to make sure that you're providing a safe environment. (Do any kids have food allergies you should be aware of? What's the bedtime for children?) Younger children are also expecting you to make it a fun time, whether they are willing to admit it or not. Of course the kinds of activities can vary with boys' or girls' sleepovers, but have some group games, movies, and snacks ready to go. There's no need to spend a lot of money, especially if you plan ahead.

The age of the children attending the sleepover can dictate how much involvement is appropriate from parents, and can also influence the bedtimes. Groups of young children, tweens, and teens each require parental supervision around, as the parents of the other kids have entrusted their children's safety with you.

Teenage Sleepovers

Teenage sleepovers are rather different than an evening with 5 nine-year olds, but the basic idea is the same: provide a fun, yet safe environment. You may get better results with teenagers by setting specific rules and then giving them their space. Teenage sleepovers can be peer pressure danger zonesor worse, but give tweens and teens at least some opportunities to make the wrong choices, so they can practice making the right choice. If these situations occur when the teenage child can come to you for help, then sometimes that's as safe as it can realistically get. As prices on hidden video cameras and night-vision cameras get lower and lower, some parents hosting teenage sleepovers are even relying on electronic monitoring to keep an eye on things after dark.

Bedtime for Children

Sleep is essential to every child's health and wellness. Setting a consistent bedtime for children is key. It helps them with sleeping through the night, it provides positive structure in their lives, and it best prepares them for the next day. For preschoolers and elementary schoolers, to tweens and teens, it is important to stick to kids' bedtimes. If a child is not well-rested, they are more likely to lose control of their emotions, over react to situations, and under-perform in school.

Kids' bedtimes may depend on not only the age of the child, but also on how you see them doing with their current amount of sleep. If they're having trouble sleeping through the night, consider what they did after dinner or even what they're eating. Use your best judgment, and if need be try a slightly different bedtime for a week. The key is to be consistent.

Bedtime for children should be a gradually calming, winding down process. Sticking to an evening routine is often helpful, and provides the child with a sense of security. They know what's coming, so their body and mind start preparing to go to bed. It also increases the chances of children sleeping through the night. If you're struggling with your child every night about bedtime, then behavior charts can often be helpful. They aid in setting goals and in tracking kids' progress. Our free behavior charts make sticking to a bedtime routine easy.

Bedtime for children, either at a sleepover or on a regular night, doesn't have to be stressful for parents. Take advantage of the parenting tips, resources, and tools this website provides. Learn how to best help your kids get to bed on time and sleep through the night, without being the "bad guy".