For not wanting our friend couple to bring baby over to our house?

It's just a baby, not a pack of wild dogs 🤣

That is ridiculous. Your home sounds hazardous to adults never mind babies 😂 maybe tidy up luv.

I would just end the friendship an let them find some real friends.

This reminds me of a friend visiting with their little one ( we had no kids ) and the dad went through the cupboards to find cooking pots and wooden spoons for them to play with because we hadn’t provided toys 🤣🤣

Agree as well @AloneLike
If they can’t get a childminder then they could bring a playpen.

It’s got us all frothing, though

Chat GPT would be better written

Is this Chat GPT or something?

If you want to keep the friendship go to their house but offer to be the host ie: Order and pay for a takeaway or similar. It is probably easier for them in their own home at this point but tell them your reasoning.

I have 3 children and I completely agree.

Once my children were beyond that stage I had zero interest in keeping my house child proof.
When they were small we had people at ours.
Pre children we often brought take out to friends as repayment for previous meals.
Their baby was down and asleep, no paying a babysitter and we arrived with a gorgeous indian takeaway and wine.

It really worked.

When you choose not to have children then you really shouldn't be expected to child proof your home.

Her friends need to get that.

I think it's fine if you don't want them round, but probably expect the friendship to wane as a consequence. You don't sound interested in children and they've got 20 years of so of child-based stuff ahead.

You don't sound like you actually care about them or about what's important in their life. Their baby will come first now, and rightly so. Maybe you'll understand if you go on to have children yourself one day.

Depends on the kid, to be fair. Some of them are wreckers

OP I have a toddler and I think you’re fine to not have them over for evenings. Tbh I wouldn’t want to take my toddler to a non-baby friendly house anyway, much easier at home. I also don’t see much point in trying to socialise while the child is awake. Better to go to their’s after child’s bedtime. Def take it in turns to provide the food though.

do you have a garden? If you do, you could make more of an effort to host them for sole afternoons in the summer, outside?

I dont want other peoples kids in my house either.

I do not get why people think you are being unreasonable by expecting to control who comes in to your house or not

This. It’s not all about your preferences. If you want to stay friends with them and for whatever reason they don’t have a babysitter, you’ll need to be more flexible. Their preference for not always hosting is just as valid as your preference for never hosting.

I was thinking that myself! Sounds like AI wrote the OP.

This is nonsense.

I've been in my home for 27 years. Not only are there myriad breakables, antiques and delicate textiles, there are:

Cleaning chemicals
Cutlery and razors
Sewing supplies and tools
Toiletries including facial acids, etc
Medications
Electrical wires
Containers of outdoor bird feed
Plant Fertilizers
Antique/expensive books
Paint & craft supplies
Stairs to the rear entrance (v old cottage)

And that's just the hazards that occur to me immediately. It would take a day to toddler proof my home and I would not dream of doing so. Meet in the pub or at theirs.

This is what we did with one set of of friends when they had their children. We went to them in the evening and they came to us in the summer when we could have a BBQ and use the garden rather than having them indoors.

I bet you have, you just don't realise it.

I would feel the same, OP.
Your home, your bloody choice.

I have three kids. I’ve never “childproofed” my home. I might move a couple of things out the way for a bit but you sound like you need to protect against a wild animal. Tbh you sound a fairly rubbish friend, not to try to adapt / accommodate whatever life change your friend has had (whether baby or could have been something entirely different) - you don’t have to bother trying, but she’d be fine to lose you I think.

Your friends' lives have changed. Forever. If you don't like spending time with them anymore, don't.

I have a 3 month old and one of my best friends has very unreasonable expectations of me of going out to late dinners or evenings at the cinema, none of which are compatible with caring for an infant. So that friendship will die. Other good friends have adapted to seeing me in the day / for brunch/ lunch/ early evening quick drink, when it's easier for me to leave baby behind etc.

It's a matter of priorities. They don't like you enough to get a babysitter to spend 1 on 1 time with you. And you don't like their baby.

It's fine. You don't have enough in common anymore. Friendships move on. That's life.

I have 4 DKs, I don't expect to have to look after other peoples, unless I am actually babysitting. I had a friend who used to come round with hers, they would go outside smash my trees,jump all over the furniture with muddy shoes. One turned the electric hob on and had put her school bag on the top. I worked in a big general hospital ED and it's surprising what kids do and the accidents they have. I had child locks on my kitchen cupboards dgd managed to open them, got out a dishwasher tablet. Could open childproof meds and bleach at 2. Her dB never did any of these things. My place is open plan, ornaments on the fireplace, books, plants everywhere,leads to kitchen ovens,hob, kettle, knife block.and conservatory,no doors, to close off rooms. I've got low tablets with table lamps with expensive glass shades. Impossible to put everything away in another room. I IAnother friend though it was fine to let her toddler get up on top of and jump on my glass table. I mentioned some of my plants were toxic, reply "well,why have you got them then"? Because this is my home. It's not a show home. It's got comfy seating, throws, books, plants, ornaments,nick backs,glass.

I’m with OP. Bringing my baby round to houses of childless couples where they have vases out and stuff to choke on, the disrupting baby’s routine is a pain in the arse. Paying for a babysitter is expensive and there is pressure to be home by a certain time. Much rather they come to us.