What time would you leave a family BBQ with primary-aged children?

If the host has something on the next day that necessitates calling it a night at a certain time, they need to use their words and express that ‘we’ve got an early start tomorrow as need to be at xx by 10am and it’s a few hours drive, do we are going to need to wrap it up at 9pm tonight folks’. What’s so hard about that. We do that with friends when needed, would have zero hesitation doing it with family.

I have a lot of friends and host regularly at my house. I have many times said “sorry friends I need to go to bed” when it gets too late, with a smile and not aggressive . Friends have defs invited me back at their house and have come again to mine. So defs possible to do in a polite way.

Saturday night . No school tomorrow. Kids all getting along and roughly same age . No set time . If you want to put your kids to bed when you have guests there then you need to tell them to leave. They won’t be mind readers ..

I’d estimate about 9pm.

I’d read the room and base leaving on how tired the kids seemed and their behaviour - hosts’ kids included. If it seemed like everything was getting a bit fraught / winding down earlier I’d say oh shall we get out of your hair and let you do bedtime? Or if everyone was having a wild time and happy then maybe we’d stay later, it being a Saturday and school hols!

I have a toddler and hang out like this with my toddler parent friends and we’ve continued having a drink and chat while sticking them in the bath together before! Equally I have some who are much stricter on bedtime and I’d not expect to stay past 8pm absolute latest.

Would go off the kids. I would pack jammies and toothbrushes and ask host if the kids can shower if it gets late and then just carry them into bed if they fall asleep in the car home