How to Survive a Slumber Party
Original image by Allen Taylor on Unsplash.
Begin the party at around 6 P.M.
Organize strenuous events such as tag, soccer, high-impact aerobics, calisthenics, or wind-sprint drills to exhaust the guests and encourage an early bedtime.
Serve carbohydrate-heavy foods.
Pizza, pasta, sandwiches, chili, and other heavy foods help induce sleep. Make certain these are on the menu, and encourage everyone to go back for seconds. Calisthenics will encourage early bedtime.
Secure cabinets, rooms, and drawers you want to keep off limits.
Use travel padlocks and cable ties to protect cabinets and drawers. To keep the children out of rooms that do not lock, place noisy pets inside the rooms, or stack cans behind the door to create an “intruder alert” system.
Observe your guests unobtrusively.
Use small bowls for snacks so they need to be refilled regularly, providing you with the opportunity to ensure that the children are behaving well. Listen with a tall glass pressed against a wall or door (holding the closed end to your ear) to eavesdrop. Check in every half an hour or so in order to “see if anyone needs or wants anything.”
Introduce video games and movies to ratchet down the activity level.
Lower energy levels with nonviolent video games as part of a cool-down phase. Show long, sweeping epic movies around 11 P.M. to get children into sleeping bags and a prone position.'
Be Aware
When issuing invitations to the party, advise your guests to bring not only sleeping bags, pillows, and toothbrushes, but also their favorite board games, video games, game controllers, and stuffed animals.