to be annoyed with my friends who bring their staving hungry kids to parties?

[sighsighsigh]

Over this Xmas period I have held a couple of evening get-togethers for a few of my friends and all our children. However, I have noticed that a couple of my friends will always bring their children along ravenously hungry. These children will within 30 minutes to an hour of arriving, will be constantly pestering me in the kitchen for food - demanding to know where the food is. (I usually serve food approx 1 - 1.5 hours of arrival time and there is always plenty of food to go around.) One friend of mine, admitted that when there is a party she will be quite happy to skip the children's tea - which would explain why her children would be ravenous by the evening.
So, ABIU to
a) find the children's behavior irritating and rude
b) to be annoyed with their parents too?

YABU. Have less parties or shove a bag of crisps at the kids when they arrive. Not being mean but you do sound a bit stressed out.

a bit,but its no big thing is it

my son heads straight for the food! sorry

i can't wait an hour for food

think you are being a bit unreasonable

why can't you eat 20 mins after people arrive?

i always think point of parties is the eating and bonhomie.so hungry children isnt an issue. but i dont have a set eat time i do a buffet so eat whenever - on arrival if wished

i expect people will arrive hungry.no biggie

You make people wait an hour for food?

YAB a little U. At least they WANT to eat your food!! Take it as a compliment! I agree with what Zippy says - shove some crisps their way!

isnt that the point of the party food lol i dont mind it tbh i am happier that the food has been eaten rather then going in the bin

YABU and very inhospitable.

Maybe you should state on the invitations that children should only be hungry at approximately 1 - 1.5 hours after arrival time.

Maybe not bother next time?

The alternative is for the parents to bring their kids stuffed to the gunnels then those (like my dd ) who have no self control when it comes to grub will stuff their faces until they are sick on your carpet. Hobson's choice really.

my DS's can eat a full dinner and STILL head straight to the food at a party - so another "sorry" here

So you invite people round for food and then get pissed off when they arrive hungry?? [hm] right ....ok.

mine eat like they have never seen food before.grab n go.absolutely no chance of waiting 60-90mins either

As the Nanny says to Scarlett O'Hara in "Gone With the Wind": "No-one likes to see a woman with a big appetite. So eat something before you go to the party." (Or something like that.)

Same with small people. A large appetite is most unattractive and a real social put-off. I've drummed that into my children.

YAB (a little) U.

how old are these children op?? and how old are yours?

If they're ravenous when they arrive then waiting 30mins/1 hour before pestering you is very polite!

Don't you have bowls of nibbles out for when guests arrive?

I usually get to a 'do' hungry and get started on the nuts/dips straight away!

If you're having a party with food, don't you expect your guests to want to eat?

An hour and a half seems a long time to make your guests wait for food tbh. I'd be a bit suprised to go to a party and have to wait that long with no nibbles or anything.

Message withdrawn

I don't think yabu. I agree it's rude to pester for food.

I'd probably have a buffet though and then it wouldn't be an issue.

I only wait an hour from the stated time of arrival, as a lot of the time guests don't always arrive on time. This means that some guests arriving late will only have to wait 30 mins. I always have plenty of food on so the issue is not so much laying on the food - which I don't mind doing - it is more having some children constantly saying to me 'I'm hungry', 'where's the food', 'I want my food now' etc etc. I tend to find their constant badgering whilst I am also trying to prepare the food and serve drinks a bit stressful.

imo,good host has adequate food/drink on arrival ready to eat.no poncey etiquette or waiting for appointed time

it is a party get stuck in

Blimey. YABU. Hand out nibbles!

My nephew is under my feet at every party I have. Eating sandwhiches and crisps off the plates before they are even on the table. And he always gets fed his dinner before he comes.

It's just the way kids are. YABU.

And an hour to wait for food? Why? Surely it would be easier just to have it all laid out before people arrive?

Just stick a couple of bowls of crisps or twiglets out before people arrive, then you don't need to worry about early arrivers being hungry.

Don't you have nibblies/horsey doovers out for as and when people arrive?