Kids at weddings

[VoluptuaGoodshag]

Not the controversial subject matter but in people's experience of taking kids along. How do they behave, what do you do to keep them amused and what time do they finally crash out at. Mine are 2.5 and 3.10.

[ahundredtimes]

I think it's really hard work because generally I have found that PEOPLE WOULD RATHER THEY WEREN'T THERE. I resorted when mine were the age of your dcs, plus one at either 5 or 1, to sitting in the back of the 'church' or wherever with things to eat. NO NOISE seemed to be the golden rule. Mine always quite liked the singing bit. Stern talking to, something to eat, time to run around. Then when everyone's drunk afterwards it's fine and they run about and people are nice to them then. Mine would scream before they crashed out, take a buggy and take a long drunken walk at about 9?

[VoluptuaGoodshag]

Hmmm. Well they are most welcome and there are lots of other kids going to be there so I'm not too worried about folk wanting them not to be there.
My DH seems to think that both of them should be in their bed at their usual time which means one of us (him as it's my family wedding) staying in the room. I get quite cross with him as I wonder why he wanted kids as all he seems to want to do is to shut them away at 7.30pm and never let them have any fun.

There is the added problem of DD having chickenpox. They are crusting over and will no longer be contagious by the wedding but he is really using this as an excuse not to go at all. I can see his point of view TBH but he argues it the wrong way implying that even if she was in perfect health that they should be in their bed

[kslatts]

At my sister's wedding, she put a colouring book or puzzle book on the children's places with a packet of pencils, it was great as it kept the children from being bored while the speaches were on. My dd2 who was 4 at the time spent most of the reception colouring. Maybe you could take something similar with you.

I am usually strict about bedtimes, but at weddings or on holiday, etc they stay up late.

We took dd2 to FIL retirement party when she had chicken pox, the spots had all scabbed and as it was in Ireland we got confirmation from our gp that she was no longer contagious before we travelled, nobody seemed to mind her being there.

[serenity]

Weddings and special occasions are perfectly valid reasons to abandon the usual routine IMO. We've got our Anniversary party in a venue 45 minutes from home, it doesn't end until midnight so my lot will be bouncing off the walls until way past that time - we'll all just have a really long liein the next day. The following weekend is my BILs wedding and I fully expect the same thing to happen then!

It's a one off, he needs to relax a bit more I think.

Keeping them amused - papers, pencils, couple of books, a few quiet toys. During the reception there will be so much going on that they probably won't need toys as such.

Have a nice time btw

[Jacanne]

We are getting married at the end of the month and as we have a 4 and a 2 yr old we have invited lots of children. I am a little concerned about how they'll cope with a busy day and late night but they can keep going to about 9pm on a normal day - the little one will probably crash out on someone's lap. I used to stay up late at family weddings as a child - we're just going to play it by ear.

[VoluptuaGoodshag]

He does!