Tips for a successful sleepover at grandma's house.

This post is sponsored by regal baby, but like always all thoughts and opinions are my own.

There’s something special between a child and his grandparents. I can’t explain it well, but my son gets an extra pep in his step whenever they are around and lights up with a joy that is indescribable. Of course they visit with smiles and fun times in mind, but even in the quiet moments of story telling or just long hugs together I can sense that they have a truly strong bond and love for one another.

Ya see, I am one of the lucky ones. I may not have a mother and father to be a grandparent to my son but man do I have the best in-laws to fill that gap.

They are truly wonderful people and even more amazing grandparents than I could ever had imagined. They don’t spoil our son with many gifts but they give one thing that means more than that: their presence. When they visit, they are truly present in every moment with him. Sharing laughter, hugs, and silly moments together. It’s quite precious to hear their giggles in the other room and watch my in-laws become child-like again.

And now Christian is to the age where he knows and loves them immensely and can have his first sleepover at their home. So my husband, Dusty and I have planned a weekend getaway to Denver for this upcoming weekend. Am I excited to have this time with him? Yes! Am I a bit nervous leaving my boy and heading miles away? Of course!

Here are a few tips for a successful sleepover at Grandma’s house that I'm sure I'll be adding to as we perfect this weekend activity.

1. Pack the lovies.

Pack your child’s favorite blanket, stuffed animals, pacifier and a few other comforts from home that he/she usually use in their sleep routine. Our son has a blanket that he loves so we always pack that and though we are transitioning from the paci we still bring it just in case he has a rough night and needs the extra comfort.

2. Make it special.

My husband and I are realist. We know that overnights at the grandparents are moments to make memories together and when our son gets to do special things reserved for grandma’s house. Since we are transitioning out of a crib we like to bring his Regalo Toddler Cot. He loves it when we get it out and knows that it’s his special bed to lay and watch special shows and read with his grandparents. It makes the sleepover feel much more special! The Regalo Cot is so easy to setup. You just remove it from the bag and extend it. That's it! You have a special bed reserved for fun sleepovers at the grandparents. Get yours here!

Grandparents also means sweet treats. That’s right sugar and GMO’s. Making smore's is a memory reserved for those warm summer nights or grandma's or peach cobbler with a heaping scoop of ice cream just makes the stay so much sweeter for the three of them. Grandparents get to spoil and treat their grandchildren and those little babies get to form some everlasting memories at their grandparents.

​3. Go over the routine but be realistic.

Definitely go over the routine with grandparents. Let them know everything from naps, snack times and scheduled potty attempts, but be realistic. Those three may be having so much fun that he doesn’t get a snack at 10 am but at 11. It’ll be okay. Be thankful that the grandparents watched your child and don’t fret over the little things that they did not adhere to.

4 Set your expectations.

Your child WILL be off of his/her routine and it WILL take a few days to get them back on it at home. But also expect that they will have a great time and talk about it for weeks after. It’s all a compromise and your rough transition back home is worth the memories and the bond that your child and grandparents are forming.

5. Safety​.

I know that grandparents have raised kids on their own, but since then some safety standards have changed. Remind them how to properly put the child in a car seat, foods not to be eaten such as popcorn and hotdogs and how to properly cut larger foods. You can even pack healthy snacks and label them for your parents to use.

Will my son get off his routine? Probably. Will he eat things that I wouldn’t feed him? Most likely. Will he be looked after carefully? Definitely. Will the three of them have fun? No question. Will it be worth it? No doubt about it!

What tips do you have for a successful sleepover?