Every single girl and almost every boy goes through the rite of passage of having a sleepover. It’s something all kids love to do and for girls especially, a slumber party with a bunch of girlfriends is a serious bonding experience full of gossip, games and grab bags of munchies for that ever-elusive midnight feast. Not only do you want to make sure that your child has an amazing time, you want to be hailed as the sleepover host of the century, earning brownie points from your children as well as their friends.

The whole point of the slumber party is to have fun and enjoy each other’s company, and that doesn’t mean that you cannot do it in style, right? Well, we agree. The good news is that you don’t have to spend the earth to get it right for your child! You can invest in cheap bean bag chairs for comfortable, sprawled seating. You can get bags of kernels for popcorn that the guests of the slumber party can make themselves, choosing their toppings from a selection that is affordable for you. You want to host the perfect slumber party, and we’ve got four tips to help you to make it happen:

Keep It Small. Your child may want to invite every single person they know, but the best slumber parties are the ones that are kept small and are attended by people that they know closely. Not only that, but you have limited space in your house with a limited budget, so keeping it small is just good sense. You can really spoil your guests when you limit the guest list, before you beat your hasty retreat, of course.

Talk To The Parents. Most children know their friends – particularly if you’ve got pre-teens! However, that doesn't mean that you shouldn't meet their parents, figure out their sleep habits and if there are any red flags to watch out for. Some parents may expect a phone call before sleep time, others may be nervous and want text updates. Appeal to the parents and the guests will be allowed to come back again and again.

Relax. One of the best things that you can do as a host is relax. This is going to greatly depend on the age of your child and their friends. For teenagers, you can pretty much hand them a stack of pizzas and show them to the den to enjoy themselves. Younger children will need more guidance and supervision, but the activities that you put out don’t have to be played with if the children don’t want to use them. Just relax.

Code Words. You need to sit down with your child before the sleepover and work out a code word together. They will then come to you with the code word if they are struggling or a guest is having some trouble, and you can be discreet in your dealings.

A slumber party should be fun; and you are going to be the host with the most.