Those of you who spend New Year's Eve with kids and adults...

[clr2014]

Can you tell me what you do? How does your evening pan out? Tia

I do and it sort of starts and ends fairly chaotically! Good fun but hard work. The children are all in one part of the house and we are chatting quietly getting wasted in another part!

Oh everyone either brings food or we order a curry. Usually around 14 adults and similar amount of children.

Usually kids watch DVD whilst we have nice dinner and then afterwards we all play Wii games (showjumping or hula are fab) and then kids peel off to bed as and when they tire.

I go to my mum's house in Scotland and meet my three brothers there (plus this year one of my brother's newly adopted little boys!)

We all arrive in the evening, nibbles and drink in the breakfast room, then dinner in the dining hall. After its board games until my kids fall asleep and then we watch the countdown until midnight with older kids.

Same as regular dinner party tbh but longer.

Everyone arrives about 7pm for dinner. At some point kids play kids games/ toys, adults play adult board game, or just chat/ drink/ nibbles

Most kids just stay up tbh, but always have a room with beds/ sleeping bags/ travel cots etc set up according to ages coming on case needed

My children are 3 and 4, so usual age range is newborn-6 years

We seem to have the same number of people (around 35 each year. This year I seem to have invited another three families, so maybe 46 of us. Eeek! Arrive around 7.30. Nibbles for adults, feed the children around 8.30, kids play upstairs, feed adults around 9-9.30. Kids come back downstairs in various groups to check adults are still ok. Adults periodically check on children to make sure they are all still alive. Keep bottle openers/corkscrews handy.

11.55, gather everyone together. 12.05 wave goodbye to everyone and try to tidy house and bedrooms sufficiently so we can go to bed.

Probaby get a takeaway then watch some tv. In bed by 10pm. I can't stand New Year.

Lucylouby do your adults just mill around and chat or do you provide 'entertainment'...?

then dinner in the dining hall

does your mum live in a castle?

We always did house parties but as more babies started to arrive the houses for fuller and fuller, last two years we have been to a family night at the local club which kids have loved. This year u am working though, so it'll be my first New Year's Eve without seeing the kids at midnight. Not looking forward to it!! :(

We have close friends and their children - nibbles and drinks, kids play, food for kids, games - wii sport is a favourite - children watch a Dvd whilst adults eat / drink, last year was the first year when everyone managed to stay awake til 12 to see the new year in with Jools, although the 2 smallest were asleep on the sofa!