AINU to think NYE is rubbish with children?

[Youthgonemild]

I’m totally at a loss for fun family ideas for NYE that work with kids who are 6 & 8. I really don’t want another year of us all being woken up by fireworks at midnight and then just turning over and going back to sleep whilst everyone else we know is out having fun.

Does anyone have any idea what we can do that will give us a fun night?

Details:
We’re based in SE and have a budget of £200.
None of our friends have kids and no one we know is having a child friendly party.

I just can’t find anything suitable. Am I missing something or is NYE just a bit rubbish with young kids?

Do your own child friendly party.

Wind the clocks on say 5 hours. Ring the new year in at 7pm.

Kids think they’ve been up ages and go to bed.

Adults carry on having fun.

Typo in title! Should read AIBU to think NYE is rubbish with children?

Agree with above pp, you can watch last year's countdown on YouTube.

Then get a takeaway in for when kids are in bed!

I used to celebrate NYD instead. If the children got Christmas money, we'd go and spend it, or have a day out and something special to eat.

NYE we'd have a treat tea, watch a film and o to bed. When they got a bit older, I'd offer to babysit and we'd have a sleep over/party.

We used to invite people round who were “child friendly” and have a kids do then put them to bed and have a few drinks.

Why not a meal out, come back and get the kids in bed and then put on some music, crack open a bottle of wine and see the new year in just the two of you?

NYE is also crap as an adult. Totally overhyped!

NYE is rubbish full stop

Yes, it's rubbish. Lower your expectations. It's also overrated as an adult. Nice food and drinks at home are the way to go.

Mine are a bit older -early teens-and it's still awkward. We have got round it the last few years by going it for an early dinner with a friend whose kids are friends with mine then all back to either mine or hers for drinks and the 'big moment' .
Been fine til last year when one dd kicked off because it was the other DD's friend coming and this year it's the reverse situation 🤷🏽‍♀️

It is a bit limiting. There is definitely a divide between those that have kids and those that don't. That idea from the first poster is good. Or we are staying with friends who also have kids. Going to put them down at normal time and we're going to stay up eating, drinking and playing games in our pyjamas in front of the tv. Not a full on party but nice to see the new year in with others. Hope you find something that works for you.

I get why the kids probably need to go to bed, but can you not stop up, get a take out, open a bottle and watch the celebrations on TV?
Or party like Single suggested.

Loads of child friendly events where I am, surprised you can’t find any in your local area

Why don't you all.just stay up till midnight ? It's a one off. If the kids will last that long .

I never really liked NYE so having kids made it better that I didn't have to think of an excuse to not go out. DC is only 3 so doesn't get it and DH is at work so it'll just be me.

I'm going to get an ASDA build your own pizza, a small bottle of prosecco and put white noise on loudly when DC goes to bed to drown out the noise of fireworks

When we were little we lived on top of a hill so my DM used to get pizza and dips and we'd sit in the bedroom window and watch the early fireworks (next door used to do a massive display at about 8pm) and then have a disco in the living room and go to bed as normal.

Thank you for the replies.

As sad as it sounds we don’t have anyone we could invite round as we’re the only ones in our friendship group with children. Everyone else we know is out partying.

I like the kids NY with last year’s fireworks, then adult time. But dancing and drinking when I know we’ll be woken up at 6.30am isn’t that appealing.

Meal out sounds nice, but most of the naive restaurants round here run set menus and won’t be very child friendly.

"Kid friendly" adult friends are a good shout. Then you can have a few drinks and some nice food and kids can enjoy themselves too.

Even if it ends up being just you two parents you can still have a nice evening, staying up until midnight at home.

We used to stay at home, dress up in warm clothing and have bbq in the garden and watch other people’s fireworks across town.

We celebrate New Year around the world, so BBQ food for lunch and watch Sydney fireworks, Indian at 5.30 with Dehli, then various snacks during evening with appropriate countries - Dubai, Moscow, Athens, Paris, etc. Waffles for USA New Year. No one really cares then if you are awake for GMT New Year.

NYE is rubbish with kids or without. Now I have kids, I really dont miss my single, childless NYEs.

Pubs are overpriced and crowded, nightclubs even worse. Its often freezing cold, everyone is trashed out of their minds, ive had drunken idiots try to start fist fights with my friends who were just walking home and minding their own business. People puking up half digested kebabs on the pavement- one year I woke up to find a random strange woman sprawled out in the gutter in our street. Random men using midnight to slobber all over you, groping you and asking for a new years eve kiss, the inevitable fight for taxis, having to queue in the freezing cold whilst people jostle and argue over who is next in the queue. All that, plus the enormous pressure of it having to be "fun" because its "new year!".

I realise I sound a bit jaded here but this is honestly my experience of going into town on NYE. Would far rather stay at home on the sofa with the kids, the tv, and a bottle of Prosecco.

I think I’m having a little pity party for one as for the first time since we had the kids, I’m feeling like I’m missing out on all the fun things my friends have planned for NYE.

@Butterymuffin is right and I need to lower my expectations and it can be fun just staying at home.

Ok, I’m going to reread the replies and take the bits that I think will work for us.

Dc are 6 and just 10. We are going to a local pub that has a soft play for a meal on NYE with a group of friends and their DC and will leave around 9 or 10. We'll then go back to a friends house for the bells. Not sure yet if we'll stay the night there or go home after midnight. We are going to a family ceilidh on New Year's Day.

I can't be bothered with NYE these days regardless. I think it's much more a young person's thing. We used to do stuff when younger ore child. Then when dd was smaller we'd do stuff with friends. Half the time though you're just waiting til midnight til you can say your good nights and go home to bed.

Dd is now an age where she's the one off out. She's at some big house party this year.

Dh and I have already agreed we are staying in. He's at work all day. We will have something nice to eat, maybe watch some tv or a film. We might have a look at booking our summer holiday - needs some sorting and planning to arrange. May not even bother staying up til midnight tbh.

YANBU. It's rubbish without children too.

We have a party with my sister and all our kids but I cant be bothered this year so not going to bother and just having an early night and a nice meal new years day as ours was rubbish at the in laws on xmas day.