Willie's
Weekly
Words
of
Wisdom
Stop by each Wednesday for ideas, hints, and tips to whatever comes to Wilhelminia Ripple's mind. She is the author of the What Do I Do?® series and she will delight you with her words.
Started Tuesday, October 7, 03
Week 42, July 21, 04
Hi
Everyone,
How's your summer going so far? Have the kid's asked to have a slumber party
this summer? What have you said? Are you the "sure lets have one" type or are
you just cringing? With the new Sleepover movie out your probably curious
to know
what the new trends are for slumber parties
and how to have them. So here's the scoop:
The first chapter of my Slumber Parties book will help you with every aspect of Slumber Parties. It will tell you the difference between a sleepover and a slumber party, why and how to have one, what to do about bed-wetting accidents, safety issues, how to be a single parent and host a slumber party, how to know if your child is ready for a slumber party, the seven stages of slumber parties, twenty helpful hints for slumber parties and ten don'ts for parents hosting slumber parties. And then of course you'll get 14 themed party ideas for boys and girls loaded with tons more information (menus, stories, games, midnight snack ideas, etc...).
The
three most popular slumber parties you'll
hear about are preschool/kindergarten slumber parties, hotel slumber parties,
and co-ed sleepovers.
First, younger children want to be part of the action. They want
their friends to come over and spend the night. Older siblings and television
are partly responsible for their desire. Take the quiz in my Slumber Parties
book if you're not sure if your child is ready or not. You'll get the answers
immediately. If you and your child are ready, start with a few friends, play
some games, have dinner, watch a video, and sleep. Wake up, have breakfast, and
sent the kids home. It's easy, just keep them so busy, they won't miss mom or
dad and they'll fall asleep easily. At this age making individual pizzas is a
good choice for dinner and popcorn at video time.
Hotel parties are becoming popular for several reasons. Parents and kids
are both enjoying them; it's like a mini vacation for everyone...who isn't ready
for a vacation? And, there is no clean-up before or after the party, no
vacuuming, no washing dishes or sheets, no putting away sleeping bags and gear,
no breakfast making (get a hotel that serves a free breakfast). Party guests are
enjoying the hotel experience and excitement, along with the parents, while
relaxing and swimming in the pool, going to the snack machine, having room
service, calling for pizza, or making pizza fun-do, riding the elevators, and
playing in the game room. Pull together more fun hotel ideas by visiting all the
creative ideas in the chapter called Vacation with Me, on page 43,
in Slumber Parties...What Do I Do?.
Co-ed sleepovers...wow...you say! Yes, they really are happening. A lot
of these kinds of slumber parties are being combined with a school or church
function. They are typically well supervised and are following a late night
gathering. They involve going back to a family’s home or being in a lock-down at
a church or a recreation center. These teens usually stay up late listening to
music, playing games, talking, snacking, and like watching movies. Lots will
fall asleep wherever they can find a spot and they sleep in their sweats or
jeans. They get up early, make breakfast and go home to get real sleep. I'm not
saying they won't be doing things they shouldn't be but most are just friendly
get-together's especially if rules have been laid out ahead of times. The
hardest part of these sleepovers is for the adults to stay up all night to
supervise. Taking shifts between adults is a great way to handle it. You still
have to decide if it's right for your child or not. Ask yourself these
questions: Is your child responsible? Have you brought him/her up with good
values? Do you know the home or church and the adults of where your child will
be staying? What other kids will be there, do you know and trust them?
So, if you're the adult hosting the slumber party here are some tips to having a
"nightmare-free" party; Take the kids keys away, keep all doors open, try to
keep lights on, listen through vents and open windows to the conversations
(without the kids knowing), keep checking the room by emptying the small trash
cans and refilling the small bowls of food (small...did you get it...this is so
you can go back and forth without suspicion) make sure parents of your guests
know they are spending the night, limit the amount of kids by invitation only,
and have the typical rules such as no rough playing, no rudeness, no alcohol, no
drugs, no sex...and no ifs and buts, rules are rules!
Have fun with the new trends in slumber parties!☺
Author Wilhelminia (Willie) Ripple