First proper house guests - what do I need to know?

[messybessie]

We've had people crashing overnight on the sofa before, pre-DC but this is the first time we have had proper guests coming to stay in a proper spare room. They are grown-ups.

What do I need to know? They are bringing their toddler with them too.

Clean sheets and towels, obviously. Anything else? I have 10 days to prepare (and tidy!)

Top tips please.

Call them and ask if there's anything in particular the toddler likes to eat.

Make sure they feel welcome to use the kitchen/living room/TV/DVD if the toddler wakes them up early.

Magazines to read on bedside table. Water jug or bottles. Do you have a spare dressing gown they can use?

Do you have a travel cot? set it up with a clean sheet and chuck a couple of teddies in it.

I would appreciate dark curtains in the room, as my toddler wakes with the sun...so if you dont have dark curtians maybe tell them and offer an old blanket they can drape over the window?

Bake a cake.

Have plenty of booze in

have some planned activities in mind- do you know of a great park you could visit, a child freindly pub?

Get plenty of booze in. It's gonna be rough.

If they are not friends who will just crash where they fall, then they are going to be painful and precious.

Organise some sort of code with friends so they can text you with an "emergency" so you have to go out.

My Dad thinks I have friends in every hospital in the UK.

Make sure their room is really clean and free of anything dangerous that their toddler will might break or play with first thing in the morning.

oopsadaisy is that a joke? if you have mates in very hospital, mabe it's you who is a crappy host rather than all of your house guests being a PITA?

ongakgak - yep - I'm a crappy host.

If my guests were invited and don't make me feel like a moron in my own home then it's cool. Let the wine flow and we'll all have a laugh.

If guests arrive and behave all sniffy and precious then I send a text (whilst hiding in the loo) to a mate who gives it two minutes and then calls with an emergency.

It is a reciprocal arrangement of course.

One friend of mine hides out at my house when her SIL visits. She has her own key for the purpose!

Exhaust the toddler at the park so you all get some sleep.

Clean bathrooms and kitchens. Make sure there are plenty of towels. Remember small people often need a bath before bedtime. A bottle of baby friendly bath stuff is always welcome. Buy extra milk - if the toddler drinks it.

Be aware you will go out of your way to make nice food and the toddler will refuse it and demand toast. Buy extra bread. Do not stress if he wails a lot.

Buy stain remover for spills and puddles.

Make it clear from the off that they don't need to bring much. Their DC is very welcome to borrow all your DC's books/ toys, spare high chair/booster and buggy if you have a spare. I find the packing to go away such a hassle.

Make sure you find out what time their DC goes to bed and arrange stuff around that, ie kid's tea/ bath time and have your meal reasy for soon after there in bed, (a slow cooker is good for that). Lots of nibbles for grown ups if your dinner will be late.

In their room:

-clean sheets
-fresh towels (refresh every other day)

• a bottle of mineral water
• a bedtime story book, a couple of toys in the bathroom and a small kit of decent shampoo/shower gel
• magazines a plus

Booze (for you) fresh milk and cookies for bubba, fresh bread for breakfast, one pot meal for dinner and fruit in a bowl for anytime of the day.
If you manage a cake, that's a big plus!

Right. I'm going to wash sheets and towels now and put in a safe place!

Who said house guest are like fish? After 3 days they go off

coat hangers are a must.

I recommend staying in the room yourself before they arrive - that way you can check the curtains don't gape, that the bed is comfy, that the heating works etc.

Things to think about:

• plugs. Everyone likes to be able to plug in their mobile charger.
• bedside light. A non-negotiable, Homebase have cheapo nice ones.
• water bottles. I just chuck a couple of these beside the bed, along with some snackettes (wrapped biscuits, chocolates) as it's hellish to be hungry when staying somewhere strange.
• tissues.
• clean towels. We have special guest ones as can't trust my lot not to do something heinous to them which I won't notice.
• clean sheets. Ditto.
• hypoallergenic pillows/duvet. Because it's hellish when allergies start up somewhere strange.
• box of hangover remedies. Self-explanatory.

For toddler:
Ask them in advance what they need or what they'll be bringing - so they might not need their cot, baby monitor, yadda yadda....

I usually have a few books and magazines in the guest bedroom - the sort that you can dip in and out of, not novels.
I also put an over the door hanger with a few coat hangers on it so they can hang stuff up without rooting around in the wardrobe.
Clean dressing gowns if you have them are handy too.
Maybe something which could be a nightligth incase the toddler needs a light all night - they won't want a bright light all night.
A bedside clock is also handy, especially with a toddler.
I hope you have a fantastic time with your guests.

Most people have covered everything but it's always nice to put a few bedtime story books for their toddler out.

Some flowers are nice, nothing too much, some snowdrops or daffs would be good at this time.

As well as telling them to use TV/DVD if toddler is up early, show them how to use it. I have been stuck up early staying at a friends place with DS (just under 1 at the time) unable to get the TV on.

Also have some heating on from 6am for early risers, in the same house we couldn't get the TV on there was no heating on till 8am, so DS and I sat huddled on the sofa in December just past freezing!

I would say the same for babysitters Fresh - Many a night I have sat up til 3am when the heating went off at 10pm, totally freezing. Some parents even pu the heating off because they were going out . I learned to layer up.

Now I always show the babysitters how to adjust the heating and leave a bit pile of cosy blankets to snuggle down in.

You need a mirror too, one that is near to an empty plug socket, nothing worse as a guest than trying to dry your hair in the mirror that is on the other side of the room.

Nice small bin for tisses and cotton wool.

Hangers. Nice ones, yes. Nasty wire ones left over from dry cleaning, no.

Enjoy!

Imagine a cosy, luxurious hotel room. What would you like in it?

I'd like:
Good pillows - not biscuit thin or years old
Ditto for duvet
Extra blankets
Fluffy towels
Miniature toiletries (I probably would bring my own, but it's a nice touch)
Tissues and cotton wool
Bin
Hairdryer (Superdrug do one for about a tenner)
Magazines
Water jug and glasses
Room should be spotless, warm and smell nice!

In addition to the great advice above, I make it clear to guests that they can help themselves to the tea/coffee/juice etc, there is nothing worse than as a guest feeling parched and yet having to wait to be offered a cuppa. This also means that when their toddler gets up at the crack of dawn they cannot only make themselves a morning cuppa but you one aswell!

In the room -

decent pillows, duvet, towels.
Extra blankets - two.
Box of tissues and a bin
Bedside table and lamp
Easy access to electrical sockets, hopefully near to a
Mirror
Overdoor hanger with a couple of nice hangers (a variety for skirts, trousers and shirts.
A few books - mix of styles and genres

Check what they will be bringing for the toddler - travel cot, high-chair, baby monitor etc, and also provide -

Child-friendly bath stuff
A pack of baby wipes in the bathroom
Maybe buy a new picture book for them
Put the heating to come on early so they're not cold in the morning.
if it's very light in the mornings, offer an old blanket or towel to make temporary black-outs.
Encourage them to make drinks as and when they need, in morning, evening and in the night if need be. Also provide easily accessible biscuits.

Don't put toys in the cot - some children get very fussy about "invader" toys rather than their own.
Don't provide a clock unless it is silent - not everyone likes a ticking clock.

Check what time the toddler baths/sleeps usually and work broadly around that. Some guests will stick to their usual routine rigidly, but a toddler might play up and put out the timing, or they might feel more relaxed by being away, and shift bedtime later. A good idea is to wear the toddler out with a good walk and visit to a playpark.

Buy extra milk, don't plan that the toddler will eat anything sophisticated - ask what they like to eat.
If possible, bake a cake or special pudding; and if the toddler is older, some crispie cakes or fairy cakes or similar. If you know the couple and the toddler well, buy a mini-packet of chocolate buttons or Magic Stars to have on hand.

1)When I visit some friends I always feel akward having to ask for a facetowel (to wrap my washed hair in). Some people only provide bath towels.

2)A bin in the bedroom is helpful too. I often end up with a plastic bag hung over a door handle.

3)A little space cleared so that I don't have to live out of the suitcase is always appreciated.

that should of course read "awkward"

Wow! Can I come stay with you lot?! You sound like wonderful hosts :)