Anonymous
Post 08/30/2016 17:16     Subject: Re:Please help with tween boy sleepover questions!
I think 4 or 5 is the max I have ever had - thankfully. I think it's just too many. But, its also hard so if it's hard to exclude I might make an exception. If you have a lot, make sure they run around a lot outside before they get back into the basement. It's a lot of energy in a small place no matter how big your house seems.
Anonymous
Post 08/30/2016 11:51     Subject: Re:Please help with tween boy sleepover questions!
My son (turning 11) wants a B-day sleepover too! He had 3 boys (plus himself) last year. But now he wants like 8. Experienced mom of boy sleepovers . . . is there a number at which in your opinion it is likely to get out of hand? 8 seems like too many to me. Please advice . . .
Anonymous
Post 08/30/2016 00:06     Subject: Please help with tween boy sleepover questions!
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Mattress on the floor is fine but I cannot imagine making someone sleep on the floor no mattress. Sure everyone does it, but would you want to sleep on the floor. I'd be pissed if you had my kid on the floor.


OK so help me out. There may be up to 5 boys sleeping over. They can't share beds (there would be enough space!). What about putting comforters (from those beds) down on the floor, and then sleeping bags on top? A bit of padding though not the same as a mattress. I assume no one has 5 mattresses - although perhaps people do! I don't want to piss anyone off. Help!


This is pretty much what DS and his friends do. We have a big sectional in the basement and usually 1-2 kids are on that and the others will make themselves comfortable on the floor with sleeping bags and whatever bedding they can scrounge from our spare bedroom.
Anonymous
Post 08/29/2016 23:53     Subject: Please help with tween boy sleepover questions!
I don't want to smell anyone's morning breath. We take the toothbrushes hotels leave for us and bring them home. The best friends of our kids actually have a toothbrush at our house all the time, but other rando kids get a hotel t-brush to use and toss in the morning.
Anonymous
Post 08/29/2016 22:40     Subject: Re:Please help with tween boy sleepover questions!
Regarding worries about crying/homesick kids, you could also start w/ a 'movie night' or 'gaming night' -- same thing as sleepover, but you start a little earlier, like 7, and have everyone out by 10 or 10:30. Still have pizza, snacks, movies/games. Might be a good introduction to the idea of a sleepover without the commitment. Then a month later, have the sleepover.

Also, my boys and their friends just show up, sometimes w/ a sleeping bag and sometimes without, and sleep in their clothes. So don't be stressed if there aren't pj's and toothbrushes. Gross? yes. But they're boys.

signed, another mom of 3 boys
Anonymous
Post 08/29/2016 21:51     Subject: Please help with tween boy sleepover questions!
OP, you mentioned something about the boys not all being "socially put together." I'm not exactly sure what you mean but can warn you that when we had a sleepover for seven 10 year olds there was WAY more homesickness and crying than I expected. DH was up into the wee hours with a couple kids who kept calling for us because they couldn't sleep, then I took a turn from 3-5 am checking on a couple kids who were "sick" but able to relax quietly with the TV on. I guess we could have called parents, and would have if the kids had asked, but we just waited it out.

I know 12 is different than 10 but if these kids are not seasoned "sleepover-ers", just be prepared that it may be a long night.
Anonymous
Post 08/29/2016 09:12     Subject: Please help with tween boy sleepover questions!
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:No one (other than the PP) is going to be pissed off if their kid sleeps on the floor. Stop stressing about this.


Agree - there's only that one person who is claiming every kid needs to sleep on a mattress. My kid has slept on the floor plenty of times. No big deal.
+1 OP, ignore the air mattress person, she does not represent the majority, trust me.
Anonymous
Post 08/29/2016 06:35     Subject: Please help with tween boy sleepover questions!
Hi OP! I've also hosted tons of sleepovers (for tween girls) and please ignore the air mattress person. When there's a bigger group like this I usually have everyone sleep in the living room (including DD) on a sleeping bag. If you have a nice basement, that could work too. Our living room has carpet so it's no big deal to sleep on the floor. My daughter has never been to sleepover where the parents provided had half a dozen airmatresses! That would have caused lots of giggles for sure!

Don't stress! Everyone will have fun and everything will work out! Good luck!
Anonymous
Post 08/29/2016 06:17     Subject: Re:Please help with tween boy sleepover questions!
My son is 11 and has had sleepovers since he was 6. We don't even own an inflatable mattress. Sleeping bags on the floor are fine and expected.
Anonymous
Post 08/29/2016 01:29     Subject: Please help with tween boy sleepover questions!
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Mattress on the floor is fine but I cannot imagine making someone sleep on the floor no mattress. Sure everyone does it, but would you want to sleep on the floor. I'd be pissed if you had my kid on the floor.


You have girls, I assume? Or preschool-toddler-maaaaybe kindergartners? Not boys for sure.

OP, boys don't worry about things like sleeping arrangements. They crash where they crash.

Pallets of comforters & blankets, sleeping bags, the beanbag chair, couches, trundles or bunkbeds, all fine. No sharing beds if they are older than four. If only one is there, your kid in bed/guest in air mattress is fine.

You have zero need to entertain them. Zero. Have some outdoorsy things like nerf blasters, balls, etc laying around. Plan for a couple of movies. Let them game all night if they want. Have LOTS of food (make sure soda is bottled with a lid for spills), and more food. Make breakfast. Pick a lights out time (for my kid that age it would be midnight.)

Great movies for that age: The Hobbit, Star Trek (earlier ones are okay too), The Sandlot, Independence Day (depending on their parents), Apollo 13 (fantastic for this age), Goonies, War Games, indiana Jones (1 or 3, not 2), Karate Kid (great for underdog type kids)...the list goes on (don't give them too many choices, pick 3-5 to have on hand)

If they want to do video games all night? Fine. Put the movie in about two hours before lights out after the lay out their sleeping bags and get into PJs, so around ten PM.

Boy sleepovers are SOOO simple, especially at this.l age.

Don't overthing, orchestrate or hover and keep the food rolling and it will go great.

Signed, mom of three boys.


Listen to this mom. She knows what's up!
Anonymous
Post 08/29/2016 00:53     Subject: Please help with tween boy sleepover questions!
00:51 here.

One more important thing. Very important.

Ignore the air mattress poster. She has nothing valid to add to this discussion.

No one inflates a bunch of air mattresses for a boy sleepover (and probably not girl sleepovers either)
Anonymous
Post 08/29/2016 00:51     Subject: Please help with tween boy sleepover questions!
Anonymous wrote:Mattress on the floor is fine but I cannot imagine making someone sleep on the floor no mattress. Sure everyone does it, but would you want to sleep on the floor. I'd be pissed if you had my kid on the floor.


You have girls, I assume? Or preschool-toddler-maaaaybe kindergartners? Not boys for sure.

OP, boys don't worry about things like sleeping arrangements. They crash where they crash.

Pallets of comforters & blankets, sleeping bags, the beanbag chair, couches, trundles or bunkbeds, all fine. No sharing beds if they are older than four. If only one is there, your kid in bed/guest in air mattress is fine.

You have zero need to entertain them. Zero. Have some outdoorsy things like nerf blasters, balls, etc laying around. Plan for a couple of movies. Let them game all night if they want. Have LOTS of food (make sure soda is bottled with a lid for spills), and more food. Make breakfast. Pick a lights out time (for my kid that age it would be midnight.)

Great movies for that age: The Hobbit, Star Trek (earlier ones are okay too), The Sandlot, Independence Day (depending on their parents), Apollo 13 (fantastic for this age), Goonies, War Games, indiana Jones (1 or 3, not 2), Karate Kid (great for underdog type kids)...the list goes on (don't give them too many choices, pick 3-5 to have on hand)

If they want to do video games all night? Fine. Put the movie in about two hours before lights out after the lay out their sleeping bags and get into PJs, so around ten PM.

Boy sleepovers are SOOO simple, especially at this.l age.

Don't overthing, orchestrate or hover and keep the food rolling and it will go great.

Signed, mom of three boys.
Anonymous
Post 08/29/2016 00:46     Subject: Please help with tween boy sleepover questions!
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:No one (other than the PP) is going to be pissed off if their kid sleeps on the floor. Stop stressing about this.


Agree - there's only that one person who is claiming every kid needs to sleep on a mattress. My kid has slept on the floor plenty of times. No big deal.


You look very cheap if you cannot put a kid on a under $10 air mattress.


Stop it already.
Anonymous
Post 08/29/2016 00:27     Subject: Please help with tween boy sleepover questions!
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:No one (other than the PP) is going to be pissed off if their kid sleeps on the floor. Stop stressing about this.


Agree - there's only that one person who is claiming every kid needs to sleep on a mattress. My kid has slept on the floor plenty of times. No big deal.


You look very cheap if you cannot put a kid on a under $10 air mattress.
Anonymous
Post 08/29/2016 00:00     Subject: Please help with tween boy sleepover questions!
Anonymous wrote:No one (other than the PP) is going to be pissed off if their kid sleeps on the floor. Stop stressing about this.


Agree - there's only that one person who is claiming every kid needs to sleep on a mattress. My kid has slept on the floor plenty of times. No big deal.