having a grown-up party - what works what doesnt?

[tostaky]

So little one is now 3 months and we are thinking of inviting our friends (with/without children) around on a saturday eve.

A few questions:

• is it a good idea to mix people with kids and people without?
• is it best to try to keep the kids in a not-completly separate room, that opens on the living room or should we just let them mingle with adults (most will not be of walking age)
• what type of food? I was thinking of having a pancake party or should i do lots of different finger foods? (again kids will be too young to eat our food so mainly for adults)
• any experience and DOs and DONTs?

Thanks!!

Bumping for you.

thanks Puzzle.

I was thinking the babies will need to sleep so it may be best not to do that in the evening?

Speaking from experience,have something on the Sat pm instead of evening so people with children can get home in time for evening routine.

If you have a mixed group, the people will children will gravitate together. Nothing wrong with this, but you will more than likely end up with two separate parties going on at the same time. Also (again, in my experience only), families with children will not drink much or any alcohol and will be aware of and careful around babies on the floor. Childfree adults will drink more and won't be that careful around babies on gthe floor and their toys as they aren't in that mindset

Decide what time you want to have a party and then work food around that - ie maybe 2-5pm and say come for a late lunch. Do finger foods and maybe a huge cheeseboard and some puds - faffing around with pancakes will drive you up the wall on the day, best to have everything ready in advance so you just need to whip the clingfilm off.

I'm impressed you are wanting to entertain so soon, hope it goes well for you.

Another option which is what we usually do is to invite everyone round from 4pm say and those that want to can bring a travel cot / instant beds (dependings on age of the kids) and put their LO in it to sleep wile you all have an adult evening? You could have kids time from arrival until bed time (hopefully by 7/8ish??), then crack on with adult time while everyone babysits their own kids who are sleeping elsewhere. Then, when they go, they wake their kids up and take them away with them .

I think this is such a minefield - some people have bedtime routines and some not, some have regular commitments etc - so when we have a get together of mums, dads + babies from antenatal we always send emails round and see what works for everyone.

Why don't you make it an afternoon tea type party, but with wine / champagne / cocktails if you fancy it as well.

The food could be yummy sandwiches, little quiches, pies and cakes.

It's fine to mix people with and without children, but be prepared for them to gravitate towards their like.

Thanks all.
True i do remember now going to a few dos where mums and babies all gathered in one room while the other people were elsewhere... mmhh..
ok so this is going to be an afternoon do then!

Or you could do an "open house" type party - say 3pm till late. Friends with babies / children would probably come in the afternoon and those without later on. It works really well as people who want to get their DC home to bed can do that, and adults who'd rather not have winging LO's around can do that too. And you get to drink for hours.

Just came back from a house party and kids were mingling with the adults, was lovely! It is nice to go out and meet other adults where you can take your offspring so no babysitting woes.

My friend asked people to bring a dish for the buffet if they could so it was a pot luck party. With the pancakes, would you have to make them at the time?

Parents with children could bring their buggies for them to sleep in and they could put them in another room/upstairs.