publication date: Jul 20, 2007
With the
school holidays upon us, more and more
children will be asking parents if they can
invite friends for
sleep-overs, for the
weekend or to join a
family holiday.
For many of us it’s an
ideal way to
entertain the kids and to
widen their
experiences both of how other
families interact and
new places. It's also a great way
sharing the holiday
childcare for
working parents.
Making it work
The most
important thing about taking another child on
holiday or letting your child
accompany another family is
good planning and
communication between the two sets of
parents and being
absolutely clear about
arrangements (especially if a
financial contribution is expected), whether any
special clothes will be required - perhaps for
sporting activities - and what
rules the kids have to abide by.
You will
want to know that your child will be
adequately supervised and won’t be left to his
own devices. If you
feel uneasy about the
arrangements or the
adults involved it’s
best to face your child’s
disappointment and say no from the
beginning. In most cases it’s best to
trust your
instincts.
Checking compatibility
Unless you know the
other family very well, you’ll want to find out -
before the
holiday - if you’re all likely to get on. This applies to the
adults as well; a child whose
manners or
behaviour you
can’t stand will ruin the holiday for you even though he’s your child’s
bosom buddy and they
get on like a house on fire.
Therefore it’s a
good idea to use
day trips and
overnight stays to assess whether the child is a good
candidate and to get to
know him
better. Things like
one child needing a
light on to get to
sleep and the other i
nsisting on
complete darkness need to be
worked out in advance if
bedtimes aren't going to be a
hassle. Also if the
child will only eat
burgers and chips and your family
can’t stand them you’ll have to work out a
compromise solution.
Tips for younger visitors
- Make sure the host parents know any bedtime routine a child follows.
- Ensure the child has any cuddly toy or doll he usually sleeps with.
- Tell the host parents of any particular food a child hates or dietary requirements especially if he has an allergy.
- Warn the parents if the child needs a mattress cover in case of accidents.
- Leave contact numbers including a land-line number if possible.
For older guests
Make sure the
host family has similar views on:
- Bed times.
- Going off to play on their own.
- Types of TV programmes/films/computer games parents are ok happy with.
- How much spending money he should have.
- Even if the child has a mobile phone, make sure both sets of parents have contact numbers including a land-line number if possible.
