Do you have any specific rules in your home for when your kids have friends spend the night? We never really had any strict rules, accept for safety rules, because we don’t want someone else’s child to get injured while in our care. More recently, we have started to develop a few different policies.
Our kids made up most of the rules, starting with the older two girls. When one has an overnight guest, the other bunks with her little sisters for the night. They return the favor for one another, and it gives each one a chance to visit privately with her friend. It’s a pretty good deal for the two of them and the younger girls don’t mind having one of their big sisters in their room, since they usually get to stay up later and watch a movie. Sometimes, sister even reads a story or plays a game.
When my younger girls have friends over, it’s basically a free for all. They make a mess, they eat too much, and they try to stay up way too late. I try to be cool mom, but I eventually have to make them go to bed once and for all. “I mean it this time, guys!”
Another rule we have developed is Mom or Dad makes a yummy breakfast the next morning. Sometimes we have pancakes, French toast, homemade muffins and fresh fruit, or we might have turkey bacon and scramble eggs. It depends on what our guest prefers.
The kids usually persuade us to follow the “rent movies rule” too. It’s a toss up whether or not Mom and Dad will join in on the viewing. We usually get to pick from Dora or Rugrats videos, Mary Kate and Ashley or Hillary Duff, or an assortment of “He is SO hot!” movies. In the event of these oft seen choices, Mom and Dad usually make it a rule to be busy with other things.