My oldest son, who is now 13, had his first sleepover when he was just 5 years old. His bottom bunk hosted his best buddy and it was a very sweet and drama-free event. When sleepovers are done right, they create a bond between kids that a play date cannot replace. However, if your child is not ready for sleepovers then all hell can break loose. The problem is how do you know when your child is ready for his first sleepover experience? Here are my top 6 tips for pain-free sleepover success:

The first time my son cooked he was 3.

I stared at the shoes trying to hide my disapproval. They looked like moon boots. They belonged on an astronaut making his first walk in space not on my little man’s feet.

It has been 20 years since I graduated high school.

If you ever see any of my social media posts, you won’t find pictures of fancy, made from scratch desserts or dishes. Cooking from scratch is not something I’m very good at. My skill set is closer to burning the Campbell’s soup to the bottom of the pot so badly that the pot ends up in garbage.

In the early stages of my last trimester I had a dream that my son was born with a birthmark on his face. It was a coin-sized, purplish mark on his cheek. I remember feeling complete and utter anguish for my son during this very vivid dream.

Once I found a diamond.