New Year's Eve invite dilemma - what should I do?

[frenchmumma]

Friends (Who live donw the road) have asked us to go over for a meal NY's Eve and stay over with our 3 yr old. Plan is to go early tea time let the kids play, get them to bed then we have a nice meal, drinks etc....

Sounds ideal however I dont think my LO will settle - night times at home I have to sit with him until he drops off and would have to do the same here. I have a feeling that he wouldnt settle then Im under pressure to get downstairs for dinner. Also knowing that we are just down the road my LO might create and want to go home.

IVe thought about getting a friend or family to babysit but Im sure everyone will be busy.

Do the friends have DCs? How old is DS? I've found in the past that my LOs are very excited at staying with friends, and drop off really well.

Plan A, try NOW to get a babysitter

Plan B, if he won't settle, let him play around till he drops off on a sofa or something, then put him into bed?

Take him to the park for an hour before going to wear him out. Or just keep him up until he gives up and goes to sleep.

Yes they have kids who will go to bed and parents leave them to drop off. Kids are 3 and a half. He wouldnt drop off on sofa. I think I will try and get a sitter if not sure whether to try it or just not go!

Why not tell your friends that you are worried about it. I bet they will be completely cool and tell you not to worry. I imagine that their child won't go up to bed as normal when there is obviously something going on downstairs.

I've found in the past that worries like these usually resolve themselves! I would take him along and go with the flow tbh - if he really gets upset then take him home but if you don't go then you might be missing out on a lovely evening needlessly. At this age, peer pressure can be a great thing - he might surprise you by just copying what the others do - hope you have a lovely evening

Agree definitely go, DS will almost certainly not behave in any way you expect him to Thay never do!
Their DS will probably be the same, I'd take him, put them up to bed when you plan to, let them mess around and play/chat to each other whilst up there, they'll then probably just fall asleep themselves when worn out
Agree with wearing him out that day though, long walks, running around at the park for hours etc.

Ummm Im 70% thinking that I should go with the flow but if theyve cooked a great meal and I have to take him home I'd feel terrible!

We did this sort of thing last year. I was stressing, cos I do about bedtime anyway, and it was fine in the end. I was worrried cos dd and ds were going to be sharing with another child and they hadn't even shared with each other before.

My 2 fell asleep almost instantly, the other LO took a bit longer.

They did wake in the night however and woke very early the next day, but that's another problem altogether!

This year we're doing it with diff friends and they'll be 5 kids under 6.

My 2 will share a room. I'm sure it will be fine. Looking forward to it actually.

Thanks Princessmel - Im moving toward having a bash at it. Im not bothered about him waking at night as I will be in bed with him or waking early, I just want him to settle at night.

Im going to my sisters for Christmas night and staying over and again sometimes there he feels abit unsettled about not being in his own home.

Hubby said to go and play it by ear

def decided to go and have a nice evening - Im sure everything will be fine

Well we went and had a fabulous evening, got my lo off to sleep after a bit of messing around from him but not much.

so all in all a great sucess!!!