Family Rules for Sleepovers
Email 1
Copy/Paste the following email:
Subject Line: Family Rules for Sleepovers, Part One
Hello Children’s Ministry Families:
Here is your monthly encouragement from our ministry to your home. We continue to seek to find ways to provide you with simple resources and quick helps. We know raising children is a blessing from God and a huge responsibility. That is why each month we love being able to offer you our “Online Parenting Class”. If you have not checked them out yet, they are a 4-5-minute nugget of truth and training. Just a perfect little bite-size amount of information to add to your parenting thoughts.
I hope you enjoy this month’s because we are tackling “sleepovers”. Yes, we went there! They are almost a right of a passage of childhood, your child having their very first sleepover. It might be the first night away from you, and even though it seems like something small, it can be a huge deal for you and your child. This month’s OPC gives you some helpful hints about having “Family Rules” for sleepovers.
I hope you feel a little more prepared for those conversations with your child about these fun childhood moments. If you haven’t thought it all through, I hope this video can get the conversation going in your home about what you expect.
If you have any questions or need additional help I am always available to talk through any concerns you might have about an upcoming sleepover. It is always our goal to support you and make you God’s hero in the life of your child.
https://vimeo.com/parentministry/review/280519252/afa55dbf1d
In Him,
Children’s Pastor
Email 2
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Subject Line: Family Rules for Sleepovers, Part 2
Greetings Families and Parents:
One of greatest concerns I hear from parents is for the safety of their child. We do live in a sometimes-dangerous world, and God has entrusted us with a huge responsibility of caring for our children. We want them to live by faith and not in fear. We do, however, need to find loving ways to keep them safe when they are away from us.
One of the first times away from us for a long period is during sleepovers. They are an exciting and fun time for our kids, especially that first invitation! We want to say “yes,” but there is a part of us that is saying “no.” What are we do, and how can we help prepare our kids for that first or next sleepover?
This month’s Online Parenting Class is here to help! It is all about “Family Rules for Sleepovers”.
You will find five great helpful hints to get you started on making rules for your family and jump-starting your conversations. Each one of these common-sense hints will give you guidance about how to think through the night and the expectations for the time, place, and people involved.
Give this month’s OPC a quick watch and get started on making those rules now. As always, let me know how I can help or if you have any questions about making your own set of “sleepover rules.”
Blessings –
Children’s Pastor
Video Script
Family Rules for Sleepovers
One day your child runs into the house just off the school bus and is so excited about meeting a new friend at school. They hit it off so well and had a blast and they immediately ask if they can go over and spend the night! They are thrilled and we are terrified internally. Who is this new kid? Who are their parents? What should you say in the moment?
We have all been there. I remember the first moments of figuring out how to handle this request and realizing that this is not something I had really ever thought of before. Somehow sleepover rules never were a priority until the request finally came and they suddenly mattered immensely. This month we want to help you think about creating your own family rules for sleepovers.
When you think through sleepover you are really protecting your kids. You should never say yes to a sleepover situation that you don’t trust. This goes for a camp, retreat, or night away with one of their friends. You need to know where they are going and who will be there and what the rules are of the place your child is heading. When you allow your child to spend the night away you are trusting another adult to make sure your child is safe. You want to make sure your child has a good experience and it not exposed to an awkward or dangerous situation. I’m not trying to blow this out of proportion but when kids are away overnight they can encounter all kinds of situations that you would not approve of.
Let’s think through a few family rules you might want to consider…
• Don’t allow kids to spend the night anywhere you don’t know the other parents or adult leaders. // Before you allow kids to go away make sure you know who they are going with. This rules gives you time to check out folks on social media, set up a coffee meeting, or invite the family over for dinner. This gives you time to sense if you trust where they will be going.
• Make sure your kids know your boundaries. // Let your child know that your rules at home apply when they area away. This is important for what movies they watch or where they go. Be clear with what you expect.
• Make sure kids know rules about where to sleep. // Make sure your child knows to never sleep alone in another home that’s new. They should always be in the room with their friend. You never know what other kids might be at the other home or event.
• Ensure your child knows how to reach you. // If your child is away they have to know how to reach you. They need to know how to grab a phone and text or call you when they are away.
• Say no to any sleepover you don’t feel good about. // Leverage no in order to protect your child. You can have the other child over the play if you don’t feel good about an overnight. You can agree to pick them up before bedtime if they go to another house. Stand your ground when you sense something is off.
Avoid the panic of the next request for a sleepover and go ahead and create your own family sleepover rules!
Texts/Tweets
TIP: Choose a hashtag for your tweets and use it consistently. That will tell Twitter to store a list of your tweets on one place for later reference.
Tweet One: Sleepover rules are never a priority until the request finally comes and they suddenly matter immensely. What are your family’s rules for sleepovers? #sleepover #rule #familyrules #parentingwin #familylife #children #mommy #daddy
Tweet Two: You should never say yes to a sleepover situation that you don’t trust. You have permission to say no or ask questions for the safety of your kids. #sleepover #rule #familyrules #parentingwin #familylife #children #momtrust #dadtrust
Tweet Three: Your child’s first sleepover must be a good experience and not exposing your child to an awkward or dangerous situation. Have rules. Ask questions. #sleepover #rule #familyrules #safefamily #momquestions #dadrules
Tweet Four: Sleepovers are a rite of passage and huge moment in the life of your child. Make sure they are safe, know the rules, and can get a hold of you if needed. #sleepover #rules #familylife #safefamily #momlife #dadlife #children
Tweet Five: Should my children have a sleepover at a non-Christian’s house? A helpful perspective https://markdriscoll.org/should-we-let-our-kids-stay-with-non-christians-to-evangelize-them/