Hosts as guests

[PetaJay]

Noticing that I have many dear friends who love to invite and host - brilliantly - but are slow, even resistant, to accept return invitations. I also enjoy entertaining - cook well, clean my house! - but some even say 'Oh, it' s easier if you come to us! ' when I try. So many keen hosts forgetting to give others the joy of giving. Any hosts here who are reluctant guests?

To be honest, yes, a bit. It’s so much easier if people come here, i love cooking/putting on a spread, and there’s not the hassle with drinking and driving. But I’m aware others do too so try to be fair.

I prefer to host.

Growing up, everyone always came to my house so I've just carried on with that mentality.

I do go if I'm invited, though.

I'm more of a reluctant host

not hosting at the moment but I prefer to host food as I only eat high welfare meat. I end up feeling obliged to eat things I’m not really comfortable with at other peoples houses, or not eating much (and I love food!). I know I’m hard to cater for so feel awkward about it. There are a whole range of dietary ‘things’ that people can have so could be a reason?

Opposite problem here. We seem to always be the ones bloody hosting. I get that we have the most usable space of our friendship group so bigger gatherings make sense at ours and I DO like hosting but we had a friend and new gf round for dinner about 8 weeks ago now and it would have been nice to be invited back!

My parents are definitely reluctant guests. They often (privately) complain to me that family gatherings are always at their house but whenever anyone else offers to host they argue that it just wouldn't work. There no good reason for people not to come to us instead (or any other family members) but if we just try to arrange it they won't go. For them I think it's partly feeling that hosting is 'their thing' (so maybe they feel like they're not needed if they're not hosting) and partly a control thing- they like to decide food choices, timings, who to invite etc.