Tell us your top tips for surviving sleepovers and have the chance to win £100

[Carriemumsnet]

DryNites want to know your top tips for surviving sleepovers (whether your child wets the bed or not). Do you allow midnight feasts (conveniently moved to the earlier time of 8pm) ? Is it best to just leave them to it and live with the consequences? What do you do with early risers? And if you do have a child who wets the bed (or has a friend who sleeps over who wets the bed) how do you deal with that with sensitivity?

Everyone who offers a tip will be entered into a prize draw to win £100 vouchers for the store of their choice.

Thanks and good luck

MNHQ

Anything that tires them out - i.e. an outdoor activity or swimming. Also let them sleep in a part of the house away from the bedrooms, if possible, so that if they do stay awake late, they won't disturb others in the house.

Never on a work night, everyone gets a turn on the xbox and bed by a reasonable time. I use camp beds that are fairly easy to clean if anyone has a wee accident

Ask the children what film they would like to see, involving them usually means they will pay more attention to it. If they cant decide between them, then to a vote.

When my kids have sleepovers, I always take them and their freinds ice skating or bowling during the evening so they are quite tired when we get back. Helps calm the chaos no end ;)

I have lots of sheets all in the same colour - if there are any accidents a quick whip off & replace with one the same colour - no fuss & not noticed by others!

I think 'midnight' feasts are fun, but should be by 9 o'clock at the latest! You don't want hyperactive kids all night.

Limit sleepovers to one per child per year.

Why put yourself through that hell any more often?

give your child a sleeping bag and place some pull up#s in the bottom - so they can put them on descretly once in the sleeping bag.

Offer sips of drinks from about 4pm and nothing at all to drink one and a half hours before bedtime.

Always make sure it's a friday night. so they get the rest of the weekend to get over the lack of sleep. A midnight feat at 9 oclock is always good makes the evening go quicker and by 10 or 11 the little ones should be asleep

My top tip would be just be relaxed and go with whatever happens.

I wanted sleepovers to be fun for the kids, but stress free and less mess for me, so I contained them to the lounge,

I helped the girls play dress up, play with make up etc, its amazing how quiet and careful they are with your make up when you are supervising, I order in Pizza (no washing up).

When I want things to calm down so they relax ready for sleeping I have a DVD ready and waiting for them to watch, along with microwave popcorn for then to eat, then I have them sleep on the sofa's or blow up beds on the floor, mum's pre warn me if bedwetters so they go on the blow up beds, everything is washable, if adults aren't stressy then normally the kids aren't :-)

If all else fails sleeping lions was the best game every invented

Only have one or two friends - any more and they're up til 1am.

Feed them well so they dont want midnight feasts.

Find out in advance (before inviting) if any poor sleepers/those that go to bed late and dont invite them!

Ensure they can all identify their own underpants and toothbrushes - we ended up with one of each which no parent said they were short of when they returned home!!

Remember not to use 'naughty' words when you call up to them to go to sleep.

Good luck.

Be upfront. Don't be embarrassed that your child occasionally bedwets (and to be honest your own embarrassment will just make things worse for them). Be upfront with the other child's parent, ask that they don't allow drinks after 6pm and make sure your child takes something comforting with them - a teddy or blankie work for ours.

not too many drinks after 6-7pm or they'll be giggling in the toilet at 3am...
and let them choose a few quietish activities like a dvd for the evening.

let them do lots of activities and entertainment from early evening, then let them wind down with a dvd later. Make sure all use the bathroom beforehand and that they dont drink to much, and ask the parents advice, if their child wets the bed they may recommend what they do to stop their child bed wetting and prompt them to use the bathroom more several times a day and may gvie the child some dry nites pants and you can just make sure the child puts them on before bedtime.

Re wetting the bed - we use air mattresses and have a waterproof mattress cover and I leave out a spare sheet. I tell the mother that it is not a problem - if the child does wet I am chilled - either they can come and tell me, or if they don't want to, there are spare pjs and a sheet and they should leave the other sheet by the washing basket. I won't generally discuss it with the child, but ask their parents to tell them the arrangements if me helping would be a problem.

I allow the dcs to talk for an hour past normal bedtime, but any later than that results in air mattress going into spare bedroom//dining room etc(depending on how many there are). I facilitate midnight feasts and am happy to provide appropriate food.

My dcs usually come into our room in the morning, but when there is a sleep over, they are all welcome to get up and go down stairs and watch TV. On no account must anyone come into my room before 7.30. I leave out smoothies in cartons which can be consumed first thing if required.