Super Sleepovers

As parents of young children it’s essential that you’ve already decided on your rules and regulations regarding sleepovers and slumber parties. Not all 5- or 6-year olds are ready to ‘leave the nest’ for overnight. If you’re still chasing away monsters from under their bed, if your child does not adapt easily to new surroundings, or if his/her diabetes control is unstable, it’s better to postpone sleepovers and slumber parties until a later age.

If, however, you are confident that your child will be safe and comfortable at his friend’s house, a sleepover or slumber party can be great fun and an important memory-making learning experience. Like taking that first baby step, sleepovers should be tried before ever considering allowing a child to attend a slumber party which, at best, can become unpredictable. Another area to consider is whether your child can care for himself/herself--change into their night clothes, brush their teeth, comb their hair, get dressed, and tie their own shoes (or fasten the Velcro so often found on today’s children’s shoes)--without help? If your child has diabetes, will he/she need an insulin shot while they are away? If so, you’ll need to clear this with the host parent to supervise or assist. Also discuss with your child what snacks they may have at the sleepover and if necessary, send along snacks that are appropriate for your child.

Instruct the host parents on signs of hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) and what to do should it occur. By no means, consider this your night off and go away or unplug the phone without leaving emergency instructions with the host parents as to how to reach you at all times in case of an emergency. If you have a cell-phone, give them that number and keep your phone near to you at all times. Stay just a phone call away.

Discuss with your child how to handle difficult situations such as the food being different or the TV shows they are watching not what they are used to. Encourage your youngster to be polite, yet honest, about things he/she doesn’t like. It’s okay, for example, for a youngster to refuse to eat an exotic dish of unknown ‘foreign-looking’ ingredients and ask for a peanut butter sandwich instead. Discuss with the host parents beforehand as to the bedtime routine. Remember your child is going to a sleepover, not an all night playtime. Talk with your child about the possibility of feeling a little homesick and discuss what might help them to feel better. Let them help pack their overnight bag and be sure to include a special pillow, stuffed animal or toy, or favorite blanket.

Once your youngster has graduated from sleepovers, they’re ready for slumber parties. Invariably you’ll sooner or later find yourself hosting one such party for a half dozen other children. Before the full blown slumber party, you might want to try an almost slumber party where the children play games, eat popcorn and pizza, then get into their pajamas, brush their teeth, and watch a video or movie. At 10 o’clock, you load the dressed-for-bed kids into your car or van and drive them each home. This eliminates the stress on you of getting several youngsters to sleep at a reasonable hour and limits their time together so they don’t get cranky and overtired.

When your child’s ready to host a real slumber party, here’s some pointers garnered from the countless times our collective children invited their friends for an evening of silly games, super snacks, sleeping bags, and whispering to friends into the night.

1. Limit the number of guests: more than six can be hard to control. Make sure everyone gets along with each other.
2. Discuss with your child what games will be played, snacks to be served, what time for "lights-out" and which rooms of the house are off limits. Provide adequate space for the party, taking into account that sleeping bags can consume a lot of floor space. We’ve found that arranging the sleeping bags in a star formation with the heads in the center keeps down the inevitable chatting noise as they share their innermost secrets and thoughts.
3. Write down a "game plan" and stick to it. Discuss ideas for activities, food, and decorations. Plan for at least three before-bedtime activities; nothing’s worse than a lull in the action.
4. If your child is planning on using a VCR or CD player, make sure it’s running properly and your child knows how to use it. Exercise your parental rights and help your child select appropriate videos and CDs for playing. Be aware that a guest might decide to bring something not appropriate from home to share with his/her friends. Be prepared to quietly pick up the offensive article, assuring the child that it will be returned when they leave, no questions asked or judgements made. You have the right and obligation to monitor what’s played in your home.
5. Check with the parents of the guests to determine any health needs or food preferences than might require special precautions.
6. If the children are not familiar with your home, be sure to give them a tour upon arrival so they can find the bathroom, etc. Leave a night light on in the bathroom and keep hallways lit.
7. Don’t allow any rowdy games, such as pillow fights or games which can hurt feelings such as ‘truth or dare.’ Instead, you might suggest Flashlight Limbo. Turn off the lights and have one person shine a flashlight straight out about three feet off the floor. The children take turns doing the limbo under the flashlight beam without ducking forward or touching the floor with their hands or knees. If any part of the body touches the beam of light, that child’s out. Lower the beam after everyone’s had a turn and sooner, rather than later, peals of laughter are sure to fill the house.
   Another great activity is face painting. Supplies are available at most hobby shops or costume supply houses. Girls may want to combine this with dress-up (raid your attic or that of a grandmother or elderly aunt for boas, hats, costume jewelry, etc) and boys may want to become monsters, animals, or Indians with appropriate attire. Have lots of tissues and cold cream or makeup remover on hand to wipe off the paints when they are through. Another great slumber party activity is taking instant photos. You might wish to make backdrops from cardboard or heavy paper for friends to pose behind. If you don’t have an instant camera, use regular film and send the pictures to the child after the party.
   Another good party game is a magazine scavenger hunt. Divide the group into teams of two and give each team a stack of old magazines and the list of items to find. The teams should tear out the photos as they find them with the first team finding all of the items winning first prize, and so, on down to a "booby prize" for the team that comes in last. Items to look for could be movie stars, popular singers, or sports people that the children would recognize; items of clothing; beauty or health items appropriate to their age level; pictures of specific animals, sports equipment, etc. Visit a party goods store for appropriate prizes.

What you serve will be dictated by your own child’s likes and dislikes, but here are some suggestions that are sure to please most any child. Be sure to discuss with your diabetic child how much they may consume or talk with their health care team beforehand as to how to compensate for extra food at special occasions with changes in their insulin.

Tiny is best for slumber parties. Make tiny pizzas using bagel or English muffin halves or tortillas. Provide an assortment of shredded low fat cheese and toppings and let the children create their own. Make sure you supervise the baking unless your child is in his/her teens and acts responsibly in the kitchen.

Small is best with children. Other mini-munchies could include cherry tomatoes, baby carrots, tiny sandwich cut-outs, popcorn, and bite-size melon balls. A great kids’ drink can be made by freezing different fruit juices in ice cube trays for 3 to 4 hours, until solid. Pile different colored cubes into a tall plastic glass and fill the glass with sugar-free Sprite, 7-Up, or ginger ale. Add a straw and let them slurp away.

Kids love granola. Here’s a recipe that’s both healthy and delicious--sure to make a hit. If not for snacking, it also makes a terrific breakfast when layered with low fat fruit flavored yogurt for breakfast.

1. Preheat oven to 300°F. Lightly coat a large baking pan with cooking spray.
2. Combine oats, wheat germ, coconut, and sunflower seeds.
3. Melt margarine in a small saucepan and stir in brown sugar and cinnamon. Stir until sugar dissolves. Pour over oat mixture and stir in almonds. Spread mixture over the bottom of the prepared pan and bake, stirring frequently, for 20 to 25 minutes, until golden brown.
4. Remove from oven and let cool. Stir in dried fruit and store in jar with tight-fitting lid until ready to serve.

Lights Out

When the lights go out, the fun’s just begun at slumber parties. This is a time for whispering secrets and fantasies. We’ve found it helpful, especially for younger children, to limit this time by setting a windup alarm or timer that everyone can hear ticking in the dark. When the alarm goes off, it’s time for closing the mouth and sleeping. Whatever, don’t you go to bed before the little darlings are asleep.

Rise & Shine

Be prepared that the youngsters will likely rise before dawn, ravenous and wanting to eat. You might want to pop a special video into the VCR while you get your bearings and have your first cup of morning coffee. Healthy suggestions for what to fix are breakfast parfaits (yogurt, cut-up fruit, and granola or a healthy breakfast cereal), waffle sandwiches filled with low fat cream cheese and raisins or natural peanut butter, scrambled egg burritos (using 2 egg whites for every 1 egg yolk), or an assortment of low fat, low sugar muffins. Write a "good fortune" for the day on a paper napkin, roll it up with a set of plastic silverware, and tie it with a perky bow. Now’s the time to hand out any special good-bye favors such as barrettes, scrunchies, or tiny plastic or china animals for the girls and creepy rubber spiders or miniature animals or cars for the boys, picking the favors to match the age and personalities of the children.

Once the guests are gone, pour yourself (and your significant other) a second cup of coffee, prop up your feet, and relax with the knowledge that you’ve added yet another good memory for your child to cherish in years to come.