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AIBU?

to ask what other people do with their children at weddings?

28 replies

Becca1818 · 27/04/2016 18:38

My sister is getting married in the summer, I am bridesmaid ds (16 months) Paige boy all fine no problems.

We are paying through the nose to stay at the hotel attached to the venue so that will be nice.

However, what happens come bed time? Am i supposed to go to the room and stay with him whilst he sleeps? Or let him sleep in his pushchair in a quietish corner of the reception room? Or take it in shifts to watch him whilst the other goes back down stairs?

AIBU to wonder what other people do with their toddlers at weddings?

OP posts:

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corythatwas · 27/04/2016 18:40

From a different country so may not be very helpful, but at all late night weddings I have been to children have gone to sleep in pushchairs/under the table/adjoining rooms. At my wedding we hired a couple of 19yos to keep the children and toddlers entertained and look after them in an adjoining room.

AppleSetsSail · 27/04/2016 18:44

I've normally arranged child care with the hotel or more typically, the bride has helped out with finding local babysitters.

CakeNinja · 27/04/2016 18:48

I leave them behind!
Our best friends got married recently, we took our older ones as they were old enough to sit nicely while we were busy, and they were collected in the evening as they were the only children there. We left Ds with a babysitter (friend) for the whole day and overnight as he was 3 and would have been a pita!

If you really want to take him, he might surprise you and be up dancing for hours. Otherwise, he might sleep in a buggy in the corner.
Failing that, you may have to take him upstairs and forget about rejoining the party.
I left my DC behind for weddings when they were that age, friends/relatives, never someone we or they didn't know though.

TimeToMuskUp · 27/04/2016 18:52

Mine are 10 and 5 now but at weddings we've always lasted til the children crash then head for bed. Ours are those lunatic children who can dance til midnight though, and neither DH or I get hugely drunk so we're always capable of keeping an eye on them. Children love skidding about doing knee-slides at weddings and hiding under tables, let them stay up til they crash and enjoy it.

(Also, mine get up at 6am no matter what time they go to bed. Buy yourself protective headgear for the inevitable meltdowns the following day.)

At our wedding DS1 was 4 and most friends had babies/children so we hired a creche for the day. They were amazing; had a mobile soft-play (which was immaculately clean), did outdoor games and races, painted ceramic tat, all sorts of nonsense and offered a late-night babysitting service. It cost us about £1,500 for the whole package but it was by far the best thing we could have done for the day. Not one child threw a wobbler, not one parent looked stressed or harassed. Perfect.

Toadsrevisited · 27/04/2016 18:59

You can gey baby ear defenders and pop them to sleep in a pushchair on the dance floor!

Ginmakesitallok · 27/04/2016 19:02

We've just kept them up at the 2 weddings we've been to with them.

Headofthehive55 · 27/04/2016 19:03

Mine went upstairs when he finally crashed, watched over by a rota of me DH his two big sisters, grandparents. Twenty mins each. We were all glad to sit with our feet up for that time!

purplefizz26 · 27/04/2016 19:08

Pushchair in a quiet corner, transferred to cot when we were ready to go to our hotel room.

PotteringAlong · 27/04/2016 19:10

I leave them with their grandparents.

Are you in laws close by? Could they come and get him?

Xmasbaby11 · 27/04/2016 19:12

I've not been to weddings but at party type events we've left at 8 and put them to bed. No babysitter and they wouldn't have slept in buggy, they'd have just stayed up being grizzly! They are 2 and 4.

purplewoofer · 27/04/2016 19:13

I have my SILs wedding in about 6 months. I will have a one year old and a four year old. the wedding is away and the venue for the wedding does not have accommodation. I will probably be glad to go back to the hotel with the kids. I am more worried about being stuck looking after FIL...... What ups rather a cranky child any day!

purplewoofer · 27/04/2016 19:14

*would rather

Hulababy · 27/04/2016 19:15

We always kept Dd with us, but we didn't really go in for strict routines much which helped. She would sleep in her pushchair, laid flat - someone might have taken her for a walk round if getting tired til she fell asleep. I wasn't happy to use childminding and listening services in hotels, so it was that or go to the room.

redexpat · 27/04/2016 19:17

I will get flamed for this but baby monitor if the range is big enough.

katienana · 27/04/2016 19:18

My ds went to a wedding at about that age. He napped through the reception drinks then woke up.for the meal. Ran around, ate some buffet when that came out, did some dancing. Then crashed out at about 9 in the disco in his buggy. We left about 11. It was fine.

katienana · 27/04/2016 19:19

As it's your sister you should be at the wedding more and dh should go to bed early if that is required.

redexpat · 27/04/2016 19:19

Although we did once get a crb checked babysitter from the hotel we were staying at so all the adults could go out out.

MrsMook · 27/04/2016 19:24

When mine were 2 1/2 and 9 months, they partied until midnight.

When the older one was 18 months I was BMaid and DH was BMan. We had planned to do the buggy with blackout blind, but it turned out that DH was ill and took to bed after the wedding breakfast so I sent DS in to sleep when he reached his best before.

Squiff85 · 27/04/2016 19:46

Kids (including mine) just stayed up & partied, then crashed out on laps/in pushchairs!

EatShitDerek · 27/04/2016 19:47

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

thomassodorisland · 27/04/2016 19:50

For my own wedding I'm paying for a nursery teacher who runs a wedding nanny service to look after my two at night.

No one wanted to watch them for us no idea how the rest of he day will go.

Luckystar1 · 27/04/2016 19:57

Oh sorry to gate crash but if anyone has any tips for me I'd appreciate it!

I'll have a just turned 2 year old (who is the devil incarnate with even slightly less sleep than required) and a 2.5 month old...

I'm also bridesmaid. I intend to breastfeed so fully expect to be extremely sleep deprived... Am I allowed to stick to routine and fuck off to bed?! Or is that bad?? It's my brother's wedding if that makes a difference?

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EatShitDerek · 27/04/2016 20:00

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Luckystar1 · 27/04/2016 20:03

Oh good answer Eat! That's what I wanted to hear!

Although I suspect to face serious opposition from the family but hey ho!

MrsMillions · 27/04/2016 20:17

MrsMook love that expression "reached his best before"!!

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