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.
My son has escaped the kindergarten pen at his school at least four times. The pen, perhaps harsh in name, is actually a lovely fenced-in play area with toys, a large sandbox and shade-giving trees. It exists to keep the smallest of our school-aged children safely contained until they’re mature enough to be let loose on the field at recess, and gives many parents peace of mind. Most of the kids seem to enjoy the pen, running around happily and taking turns on a few small bikes. It’s one of the nicest kindergarten areas I’ve seen, with large rocks and tree stumps for climbing on, and a raised garden bed where things can grow. It’s more than pleasant, but to my son, it represents absolute oppression (or at least a challenge). He is not staying in there without a fight. God help me, and his teachers.
It began with the idea of getting my kids more engaged in philanthropy.
In my house, I sweep up gravel on a daily basis. It’s at the front entrance, the back door, and the areas in between. It’s in the kitchen, the main floor bathroom, the laundry room. It’s everywhere.
I can tell when I’m in a mental rut because my inner voice harps on me all the time. It defaults to a negative view of every action or decision I make. It chides me, questions me, mocks me openly. It also tries to convince me that others perceive me in the same disapproving way.
This summer, our family conducted a Freaky Friday, reverse Leave it to Beaver type of experiment.
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.
During the Fall and Winter months, we tend to have A LOT more of what we like to call… ‘Appetizer Nights’. It’s exactly what it sounds like – we eat appetizers for dinner! Let’s be honest here, kids love finger foods and so do adults! So ‘Appetizer Night’ has quickly become a regular occurrence on Sunday nights in our house. (And trust me, I’m not complaining!)
I was at our family doctor’s office recently for my youngest daughter’s three year check-up. As we always do at annual check-ups, she turned her computer monitor so I could see where she fell on the growth curve. She was in the 90th percentile for height and 93rd percentile for weight. Whoa! Both of my girls had always scored high on the growth charts, but that usually tapered off by three years of age. This was clearly not the case for my spirited little one!