5 Reasons Kids Should Have a Sleepover at Grandma and Grandpa's House [Plus, a Giveaway!]

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!

1. 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 bed from a young age, or it just becomes harder as they get older.
2. 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!
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. Kids can learn from a different generation. 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 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
• Win it: One lucky reader will take home a Personalized Duffel Bag from our friends at Stuck On You! Enter using the Giveaway Tools form below, and good luck!

Open to the US only, ages 18 and up.  Ends 10/03/19 at 11:59 PM EST.
Enter using the Giveaway Tools form below.  Good luck!

Disclaimer: I received these duffel bags at no cost to facilitate an honest review. As always, all opinions are my own. One winner will be randomly selected using the Giveaway Tools random selector. Winner will be notified via email. Once notified, the winner will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway has no association with Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest or Google. Viva Veltoro is not responsible for prize fulfillment. Void where prohibited.