My husband and I recently celebrated our tenth wedding anniversary, and we were able to get away for the weekend while our kids had a sleepover with my parents. While our six-year-old daughter has spent the night a few times, this was our three-year-old son's first overnight away from me! I wanted to share a few reasons why I think it's a great idea to let your kids have a sleepover with Grandma and Grandpa. I've partnered with Stuck On You to share how this special time benefits kids, parents, and grandparents!
5 Reasons Kids Should Have a Sleepover at Grandma and Grandpa's House
When we started talking about what we should do for our ten-year reunion, it occurred to us that going out for a movie and supper (our traditional kid-free date) was not a very epic way to celebrate this big milestone! We just took a trip to the Pacific Northwest about three months ago and thought we should stay close to home. Plus, since Lincoln has never spent the night away from me, we figured a smaller trip was in order.
We decided on a weekend trip to the city where we met; Duluth! My parents offered to take the kids camping for the weekend and we knew it would be a great experience for them, and some much-needed adult time for us. I used to be worried about sending my kids away overnight, but I know it benefits them. Here are five reasons I think kids should have a sleepover with grandma and grandpa every now and then!
- It's important for them to be comfortable sleeping away from home. Now, we've been lucky because we travel quite a bit and our kids can sleep anywhere. But I think it's important for kids to get the chance to sleep in places other than their own beds from a young age, or it just becomes harder as they get older.
- Parents can use alone time. While I love doing activities as a family 99.9% of the time, I know it's very important to focus on our marriage, too. Date nights are great, but sometimes overnights offer the perfect amount of time to reset and remember how much you love your significant other. Plus, when our kids are with we definitely put their needs first. I think it's okay to have adult time occasionally, too!
- Grandparents enjoy spending one-on-one time with grandkids. All too often, grandparents only spend time with their grandkids when mom and dad are there. While this is fine most of the time, I think grandparents really appreciate spending time with grandchildren without other distractions; at least mine do! This gives them time to really connect and foster a relationship.
- Children need to follow rules from others. Since we homeschool, our kids don't often get leadership from adults besides myself and my husband. They follow the rules we set (most of the time!) but they need to realize that others may have different rules and that it's important to respect those. My parents are more strict than we are, and I think it's good that our kids understand how to follow direction from them as well.
- Kids can learn from different generations. I love that our children can learn things from my parents that they wouldn't learn from us. On just a simple overnight trip, I got photos of our daughter catching fish and both of the kids helping my parents wash dishes outdoors. (Remember, they were camping; washing dishes outside isn't common practice!) These experiences will be memories they treasure for the rest of their lives!
Stuck On You Personalized Duffel Bags
Now, it just wouldn't be a sleepover without an adorable bag to pack all of your belongings! Stuck On You has the most adorable Personalized Duffel Bags, and I just had to get each of the kids their own. It's amazing how much you have to pack just for a weekend sleepover, and I can fill these duffel bags to the brim!
Stuck On You offers a variety of options for personalizing your bag, including the following:
- Color
- Font
- Design
- Text
Their handy preview tool allows you to see exactly how the duffel bag will look when it arrives. Harper is loving mermaids right now, so she chose to go full pink with the mermaid design! The quality of these bags is phenomenal, and the designs look even better in person than they do on the website. With a zipper enclosure and an additional inner pocket, they're perfect for a weekend away.
Lincoln, on the other hand, loves all things dinosaur and has proudly announced that his favorite color is blue for over a year now. These Stuck On You Duffel Bags have two carrying options, with wide shoulder straps to distribute weight. They're completely waterproof inside so you don't have to worry about your child's belongings. The chunky circle zippers are perfect for little hands!
We just love our little Duffel Bags from Stuck On You. I know the kids will be using them for every sleepover! Be sure to check out the options for personalizing the duffel bags, because there's something for every child on your list.
Buy it: You can purchase these Duffel Bags from Stuck On You
Disclaimer: I received these duffel bags at no cost to facilitate an honest review. As always, all opinions are my own.
Miranda says
I think I'd pick the dark purple with the confetti dots!
mami2jcn says
I'd choose the purple bag with the petals design.
Janet W. says
I would probably choose Navy with the Blue Wave design.
Mia E. says
I would choose the retro robot design in blue.
Lauralee Hensley says
If I were lucky enough to win, I'd pick the Pink with the Bird on a limb with musical notes above their head with the Crystal Font which would spell the name Olivia. Lots of cute designs and colors and a variety of fonts.
Patricia wright says
Dark pink and unicorn. Rylee
Jeanna Massman says
My grandson would love the purple bag with a space name plate.
Margaret Porter says
I would love the blue bag with the retro robot
Natalie says
I would choose the flamingo pink color with the Petals design!
YVONNE WOODSTOCK says
For our grandson, I believe that I would choose the Dark Navy Blue color with the construction digger truck picture and his name in the bold HUSKY font saying his name, ASHTON.
Sharon Rooney says
If I won I would choose the purple unicorn duffel bag.
Amanda Alvarado says
I'd pick the hot pink with the unicorn head!
Ashley Chassereau Parks says
I would choose the teal bag with a mermaid for my middle kiddo! She loves mermaids and would be so excited to be able to have her own bag for Grandma's house!
Tammy Greer says
I would choose the purple bag with the unicorn on it! So sweet!
Lauryn R says
I would choose hot pink with the Spring Nest on it! This would be so perfect for my oldest daughter.