Is this too many people for Christmas?

That does not sound like a Christmas Dinner.

Much too squashed. 28 people plus 4 babies?

More like a party with a buffet and even then…

Your small child’s new toys will be trashed, there will be overwrought kids crying, the amount of food….

What size exactly is your house?

We have 14 adults, 3 DC and 4 Babies this year and have said it’s too many. The dining room seats 16 at a squeeze. We have found it’s chaos getting everyone hot food at the same time - even with a separate breakfast room to lay it all out caused issues as one greedy individual can’t seem to see that there are say 20 portions of each food so took 9 pigs in blankets instead of 4 and 4 lots of stuffing instead of 2 etc. Playing up was a no go as just too many.

This year we are all splitting into smaller groups for Christmas Day and getting together for a boxing day curry - from the local Indian!

It will be crazy and cosy, but you can do it.

You will surely be short of cooking space. People have strong feelings about their favourite Christmas foods, but it would be helpful to have a couple of dishes that are good at room temp - Ottolenghi salads or the like.

I agree you will need to eat in shifts to supervise the DC. I hate seeing this become Mums’ Work whilst the Dads kick back and watch telly. Luckily your telly is in the playroom! I would give the DC some games and screens and put some sports loving dads in charge of them (and the remote).

Some (other ?) adults will need to supervise a children’s seating at table.

Yes, the adults will need to eat in shifts or separate rooms. I would split them more or less evenly so no one feels banished. ( I loathe the set up where 2 women gobble their food so they can disappear with the DC. It makes them seem like nannies. Hence my idea about the Dads above)

I always think the clean up crew should be mixed sex. Have a great time

I think it is doable if everyone helps. Your biggest issue is seating and you definitely need more chairs. Also make sure you have plates, glasses and cutlery!

That sounds like a nightmare-where will they all sit?

I would say those number are party numbers where you could balance a place of sausage rolls and crisps on your knee but not a gravy dinner!

I'm being massively thrown in the deep end here

It seems like you are throwing yourself in! Even if all the children go in the playroom, you only have enough seats for 10 of the adults. Where will the other 8 sit?

I would pull this back and do just one side of the family this year.

Sounds to many especially as you don’t sound like you have enough seats for everyone. A buffet style dinner might work but a full Xmas dinner on your knee when you me all squashed on sofas. Even if you put all the kids at the table some adults sat in the living room you’ve still got extra adults with nowhere to sit and not forgetting the babies. Sounds stressful

It sounds like hell on earth to me.

I appreciate you are a close and loving family but where does relaxation and just chilling out fit in when it's going to involve the planning of a military manoeuvre?

I think it's too many for a Christmas dinner. You can't really eat off your lap. As others have said a buffet style dinner would be better and people can use fold away chairs. If you do the roast it would need about 3 sittings which sounds like too much.
We tend to do one side of the family one year and the other side the next year.

I think it's too many!

If you do go ahead then ready prepped would be the way to go and also disposable plates.

Have a VERY limited menu.

Asign tasks to other for them to do/bring. NO adult gets waited on.

Get families to bring chairs with them.

Can you split it so that you do your half this time and then partners either following year or at new year or in between Christmas and New year?

It is a lot, but also doable if everyone is friendly and willing to help / have a tiny bit of inconvenience.

Ask people to bring fold up chairs and food which doesn't need to be heated if possible - oven space is probably at a premium!

You'll probably need to eat in shifts. We would probably feed babies and small children first supervised by one adult with another adult eating with the babies and small children who can then watch them in the playroom with some Christmas films while the rest of the adults eat.

Get everyone who isn't supervising small children to help with the clearing up from the main course.

When babies etc are having naps, get everyone who wants pudding together again for pudding/ coffee.

18 adults and only 10 seats isn't great unless you are planning for some to be eating off their knees on the sofa.

Are people expecting a 'proper' Christmas dinner? A buffet would work fine and sone people will graze whilst standing or playing with the kids or whatever.

This is really a more of a party, I'd check everyone is fine with that and crack on.