A Parent's Dream: Successful Sleepovers For Children; Tips From Parenting Expert Penny Warner To Help Make Sleepover Season Simple

Go Over Guidelines

Let your guests know they should treat your home just as they would treat their own. Develop a list of rules to make sure the sleepover goes smoothly.

Provide Yummy Snacks

• Set up a make-your-own-minipizza station with toppings for the kids to choose. If the sleepover is for a birthday, celebrate with a decorate-your-own-birthday-cupcake station.

Make It Memorable

• Give kids memories of the sleepover by letting them decorate his or her own picture frames or scrapbooks. If you don't own a Polaroid camera, take digital photos and offer to e-mail them to the parents to print and place in the frames.

If sending your kids away to camp or to a sleepover:

Pack An Overnight Sack

• Be sure to include:

-Comfy pajamas, pillow, sleeping bag and toiletries

-Glow sticks or flashlight-in case your child is afraid of the dark

-Fun items-cards, activity books, craft supplies, board games.

Prepare For Homesickness

• Let your child know that you will miss them, but overemphasizing this may make him or her nervous. Let your child know it is alright to miss home and he or she can always talk about his or her feelings.

Talk To Camp Counselors

• If your child experiences bedwetting (and 5 to 7 million kids in the U.S. do!), let his or her counselor know that your child is capable of taking care of the situation. Pack GOODNITES® disposable underpants so he or she wakes up with confidence. They disappear under pajamas so other campers don't have to know.

Warner recommends that parents share their sleepover tips and tools with each other. In fact, GOODNITES® Brand is searching for parents who have planned an enjoyable sleepover for their child. Whether it's a special snack they make or a secret they have for getting kids to settle down before bedtime-parents can provide Dream Sleepover tips that work. Winners will be judged on the creativity of their ideas and one lucky family will win the ultimate Dream Sleepover package valued at $5,000.

Select tips will be shared with other parents on goodnites.com. Visit goodnites.com for the official rules and to enter the GOODNITES® Brand Dream Sleepover Contest, plus more sleepover tips, advice and information. Parents can also connect with doctors and other parents at the GoodMorning Club.

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