Teenager Sleepovers often excite kids while challenging parents. Most teens enjoy sleepovers for all kinds of reasons. Unfortunately many teens mis-use the privilege of sleepovers to engage in mischief, and/or illegal behavior.
If you are hosting a sleepover, consider these tips to make sure everyone in your care is staying safe and healthy.
- Estalish a "lights out" time where play is over and kids are settling down to prepare to sleep.
- Establish a "quiet time" after which kids turnoff all electronics, and stop talking.
- Check in. Parents get up during the night to confirm that all kids are where they are supposed to be.
- Enforce your established curfew. All kids must be in according to your household rules.
- If kids are coming in from some place else, wait up. Talk to each of the kids and engage them in a short conversation. Get close, at least to your child. With the lights on, look into her eyes. You might see traces of drinking, lying, or emotional upset. All are things that you may want to address before morning.
- Be prepared if extras show up after a night out. Some kids are trying to avoid their own parents and consequences of breaking curfew or other rules.
- Consider whether or not to contact the parents of no-shows. Some kids use a dependable sleepover as a way to avoid parental restrictions.
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