NYE party and babies

[quackadoodledooo]

Traditionally DH and I host a NYE party have been for 8 years now, we love it. Before now kids weren’t an issue, none of our close friends had any, but in the last 2 years there has been a baby boom (we are all 31-35 now so makes sense). We are included in the boom and have a 7 month old.
Today the question of “are kids invited to NYE” was asked - and well I don’t know!!
The kids are between 3/4 months and 18 months, and I’m half thinking we should say no? Who wants a load of tiny kids at a party (8 of them to be exact). Other half of me is thinking more the merrier - our son will be there so why not everyone else!! We have a 4 bed so was thinking sons nursery and the guest room could be set up with travel cots (BYOC instead of BYOB lol), and act as our baby party, I’m sure the ones who have little tiny babies who don’t sleep in their own rooms yet could use slings or something. DH reckons he could set up a baby watch system where we can see them all on baby monitors.
Now is this ludicrous? 16 people there will have babies of the invite list of about 50 (we do a gazebo in the garden to make everyone fit) so it will be noticed if all the parents are left at home. We are also inviting some colleagues so there will be kids of around 4/6 there too. I like the idea that all these babies will grow up and be friends and we will continue to see them all the annual party so why not start now, surely the chaos years will be when we have 8 toddlers running around overtired and not sweet little babas? (maybe we can get a snap of them
all each year to embarrass them with on the year they all turn 18 and can drink haha).

AIBU to think this could work or do we say no babies pls we’d like to retain some sanity going into the new year?

I would decline the invitation for baby to sleep in another room with others. Just because I'd be so paranoid about them waking and setting the other babies off or another one doing the same to them. And then after midnight happens I'd then end up waking them to take them home and probably end up frustrated about settling them again.

But if my baby was tiny then I would use a sling and not the monitor thing.

We always had babies and children with us at house parties, the more the merrier, including New Years Eve. It’s great all the generations getting together. Have a great time.

The babies will probably wake each other up! Better if the cots are in different places. People can bring their own baby monitors

Definitely just try it and see how it goes.

Our kids and friends kids are older but for about 5 years now we’ve done a house crawl on NYE, starting about 4pm at one house for nibbles, next house for Karaoke and the more food, next one cheese board and last one disco/movie for kids. We all live close and walk to each house in a group and it’s a change of scene every hour or so for the kids, different toys / stuff to do.
Now they’re older it’s getting later each year.

I'd invite everyone. We've hosted NYE parties for years, and we have loads of children come with parents who have become friends when we all met during the nursery years. (In the primary school years many of them slept over and parents collected them the next day.) Now they are in their teens, and have started to invite their own friends too.

I think letting others decide is probably for the best if you don't mind babies coming.

I'd be disappointed and assume NYE would be baby free so I'd probably opt out but others wouldn't attend without their baby so each to their own is a good shout.

These are very young children- if you don’t invite them be prepared that parents won’t come

I'd say do whatever you want. If you don't invite the babies then most of those parents won't be able to come. If you want them to come, invite the babies. It would also be fine to do a more adult NYE party if you prefer.

This is the most sensible response here! Everyone whose commenting that it was a blissful time when they did it are talking about “kids running around and hiding under tables, and having a mini seeing in the new year at 6pm for the kids etc.”

That is not OP’s situation. These are months old babies. Y’know the kind who wake up 4 times during the night? All in a room together? It’s giving me flashbacks to being in the postnatal ward 😂

So yes, as this poster said if you are prepared for tired parents, baby’s waking up constantly, not really being able to catch up properly, no or very little drinking (remember that drinking is a risk factor for cot death on babies this small so a house full of adults breathing out alcohol wouldn’t sit right with me), the babies not to settle in any old travel cot to sleep, months old babies not being able to spend hours unattended napping in buggies etc then go for it. It sounds bloody awful to me but would be wonderful once the kids are older.

Depends on the style of party you fancy. With babies, there'll be parents attending to them and not drinking. Without, it will all be wilder, I imagine!

I would say invite everyone to come and bring babies/kids if they like, and make it clear on the invite. Then friends who think uh, no can do something else. Some of your friends might like to get out for a few hours and set off home before too much madness. Babies who remain there may well wake up at different times, but that's the case at home too, and again, if friends think it's too disruptive to some routine etc, they don't have to come.

Yes, invite the babies.
Your lives have all changed and you all need to adapt.

If you don't invite the babies, you can look forward to a far smaller NYE party.

Sounds like a good plan to me! If any of the parents think it sounds awful or they're not up for it, they don't have to come, do they?

Yes. I get to see my friends and have fun and my kids get to see their friends and have fun. Do you not like having fun with friends? Do you not like having fun with your kids?

I’d say babies invited. If kids are used to doing stuff it’s normal for them and might be the easiest year! I don’t think a lot will be happy with all babies in one room, but it’ll work. If you say no babies most people not be able to get babysitters and might not yet be leaving their babies over night

as long as you put the champagne for the babies in those sippy cups to avoid choking hazards, i don't see the problem? obviously older children should have proper champagne flutes as per the montessori method

My parents used to do this in the 80s. I have memories of being out to bed in places and then woken up again to go home.

I've done it with my children too. You can only try it! I don't think there's any harm in it as long as there are some reasonably sober adults around.

My Dc spent NYE (and other party nights) in a Moses basket in spare rooms, under a bed, in an unused bathroom…

Do it! We always did it, they're in their late teens now and still love partying with us ❤️

For NYE house parties we have always included kids of all ages, from babies to young teens. Parents will decide wether to bring theirs or noter go home when they're ready to go. For older kids, set up a PS4 and you won't see them. It's always been fun and everybody would muck in.
If I didn't want kids at a NYE party, I would go 'out out'.

Ime parties pre-kids just evolve post-kids, they end up being somewhat different kinds of parties but they're still fun. And you're right, the kids get to know each other as the years go by and play together when older. But what I suspect will happen is that people will keep their babies in slings etc, and just go home at a reasonable hour (probably not the baby's usual bedtime, but not 2am either). If they were big drinkers pre-kids, they probably won't drink much with a baby. I don't imagine a baby room with travel cots in ect would work for most people, but they'll still come and have a good time.

Oh and if my friend, who had a baby, invited us but told us not to bring our baby, I'd be really unimpressed. Id

I'd assume babies and kids were invited to a house party, as who could get a sitter on NYE? I wouldn't exclude babies and kids unless you want to lose friends.

It'd be almost like going back to the old days when we had family parties and everyone was invited from the newest baby to the oldest gran

It was lovely having the kids included - getting up to all sorts when no-one was looking.

I doubt you'll be having sing-songs round the piano though!