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?

Not if you had a baby like mine. He’d slept for half an hour at a time. We might get a two hour spell if we were lucky. There’s no way he could have shared a room with other babies. They’d have woken him or he’d have woken them. Mind you we wouldn’t have even considered going to a NYE party.

I’d say if you don’t want to drink, bring them, if you do, don’t.

I accidentally clicked YABU! We always did this when we had babies but on a much smaller scale. I remember NYE 1999 with 15 of us at a friend’s house. Babies in travel cots in various rooms. We pretty much did it most years they were young enough to put to bed then it changed again when they got older. Lovely memories. I’d do it and see how it goes. People who don’t think it will work will either get a sitter or not come.

I’ve always taken my kids to nye parties, I wouldn’t go to one even with friends if kids weren’t welcome tbh. We always host with kids, and so do our friends, even more so now we all have kids. Used to be just me who had kids.

I've been a babysitter at a party before. It was 17 kids. Chaos! Haha. Most of the kids were happy in the set up room playing video games etc, but 2 didn't speak any English and I didn't speak their language and their parents didn't tell them to stay with me so they didn't. The hosts challenged me on why the kids were walking through their house! I had no control over them!

I would assume your friends expect their babies to be with them in a pram or carrier or arms, and maybe in a quiet room in their own travel cot or pram. I recommend telling them their baby can sleep in your child's room if they want. New parents might leave early or find it works out well and stay longer, but everyone in that situation appreciates being included and not forced to consider babysitters or not going. For older kids a movie and toy area would be great, and parents can use it as needed.

Just a word of caution.
Who will be watching the babies
What if one wakes up and goes looking for mom/dad?
Strange house.

Stairs
Child gate.
Alcohol and kids.
I could relay a complete horror story about this exact situation, but I can't bring myself to
It would be a form no from me.

When we were little the street we lived in used to often have parties and all the kids would be invited and sent upstairs in the house hosting. Some played and some slept. The families never really worried about babysitters.

It sounds great as long as several parents agree not to drink at all. You run the risk of people getting bladdered in your home and being responsible for all their children alongside your own otherwise.

Thinking of all those people trying to get babysitters on New years eve will be difficult and cost each one upwards of £40 -£80 possibly more depending where you live, so id have the children as well.

We've carried on our tradition of hosting, and had the same situation where suddenly we all had babies. Now some of them are preschoolers and there's younger siblings too! We just carried on, and the babies came too. Often Mum's miss the actual NYE bit as they're upstairs with their babies feeding, so we moved the arrival time earlier to 4pm. Means everyone can come and have a nice time before bedtime begins for all the smalls, and then we carry on after, and if someone misses the clock strike they've still had lots of party time.

However, at the same time I moved to a strict paper cups and plates, and foil trays for cooking/serving only rule so there's less cleaning up. I do a strata for breakfast with sausages as it pleases everyone and then they all go home!

Yes! Lovely idea

give it a go. See if that works.

What time is the party until? I would definitely invite them and I’d love it and bring mine, I’d probably decline if not as we don’t have family nearby and wouldn’t leave a little one with a random babysitter.

practically though I imagine if you invite kids a lot of your guests will leave early to take them to bed. If it’s late how are you realistically going to get 8 kids to sleep in a strange loud house without waking each other up?

My oldest/closest group of friends have always done this. We were in a similar position - no children, partied hard and then suddenly, lots of little ones. We brought our cots, set them up in the bedrooms with clear signs on the doors, all guests told of babies and children upstairs. We always did it so r became 'normal'.

13 children with 8 yrs between oldest /youngest. They've all grown up together. We live all over the country hours away from one another but theyreike extended family. 4 at uni and the youngest in the last Yr of primary.

Totally doable if you're organised. Added bonus is they learnt to sleep anywhere regardless of noise levels.

Do it 😁

PS - on wrhey were old ebough to understand, we always did a NYE party for the first and then in bed by 8pm. They loved it.

Sounds hideous but if the majority of you have very young kids then there's probably not many options (bit hard to leave a 3 month), why don't you start it earlier instead? Make it an afternoon thing.

This was my parent’s New Year when I was a baby, 30 years on and I still spend my new year with them. What is even better is that the kids have now had their own kids so it’s an even bigger party of grandparents, parents & best friends!

it may seem like madness to some but you might just be starting something special x x

We have always hosted a NYE party.
We have been married 31 years and have probably only missed about 3 when we went to other friend's houses instead.
We probably don't have as many guests as you do, but as the babies arrived, they have always come along too.
They are now all very much grown up, of course, and have gradually moved on to have their own NYE celebrations with friends, but the last 'child' still wanted to come here, even at 18 years old and even though all the others were older and wouldn't be here!
The first babies arrived in 1996 and it was only last NYE that we didn't have any young adults here - the sad end of an era!!

What a great idea to accommodate the kids . Sounds like they have a great time

Sounds like a fabulous idea!! Those who can get a babysitter may choose to leave kids at home, those who can’t will be delighted that they don’t have to miss out. Our friends didn’t want to miss out for the millennium NYE so held a party for everyone- older kids crashed on floor, sofas, wherever, and were carried home or left there until morning. It was such a success that they carried in doing it! Kids are all grown up now but they have fantastic memories of all our new year parties. We played games, did a quiz etc. Our friends still have a party most years, it’s in our DNA now!

I think this is a lovely idea!
parents get to enjoy a night out, kids, like you say will grow up as friends (assuming they come back every year).

As a previous nanny mothers help myself, I often used to help the family out over NYE or other big parties and mind the children along with other visitors.

i wonder if you might be able to hire a Nanny to help entertain little ones for the evening? It may depend on how many children will be there as to how easy/practical it would be.

The music should be too loud to even hear the babies.

I'm sure parents will leave when their child needs them to and babies that young won't be getting into mischief. If you do go down the no kids route, I doubt people with kids will come- no-one has spare money for a premium priced babysitter right after Christmas, many people don't or can't (especially if breastfeeding) leave babies that young and most people want to spend NYE with their kids, no matter how young they are.

If you want the parents to come then they have to bring their babies. No choice. You sound very accommodating and lovely.

Invite them. These are your friendship groups now.

I think the idea of inviting babies is a great idea. Getting baby sitters on NYE is almost impossible. Many a night I sat home with my two little ones on NYE as a single mom
the nursery idea with cameras is great idea
you cant check on your baby without waking the other’s so great idea