When you have your friends/neighbours over at Christmas

[offtoseethewizard64]

just for a drink (not a party) do you insist that your teenagers

a) pop in and say Hi, then disappear again
b) pop in, have a drink and then disappear
c) join you all for the duration
d) not show their faces at all - even if they are at home
or
e) your teenagers are out having a better social life than you so it doesn't arise as they are not at home when your guests are round.

D or E

A or B as they are part of the family and IMO it is polite.

a). Although my lovely friend came round today and DS1 (15) not only came down from his room but sat in the living room with us being all chatty and witty. I was all and was waiting for him to go back upstairs.

A for Ds 14.

Lovely DD 16 let them all in and helped me serve dinner and clear up afterwards, then vanished to her room.

DS ended up going out with friends for a drink just before guests arrived but came back after a couple of hours and joined us to help relieve us of some of our alcohol.
Has spent whole of today with us including joining in with singing carols when musician friends came around for a drink this am. He is still with us now which is most unusual. He is known as " the creature who lives upstairs"

We are having our annual Boxing Day small party tomorrow. Friends and neighbours invited with their teens/DC.

Our DC will be entertaining the teens/DC

Sparkling, how lovely!

A/B (or E)

Yes, if it was just our adult friends and in the evening and not Christmas IYSWIM, A/B or E. But D would be fine too!

Dds 19& 17 have been around for much of day with dh and gp here
One is now in room the other looking at phone with headphones in ...
Think they've done quite well ..

A or B. I think D is a bit rude.

We don't have friends visit but have had relatives today and they came out of their caves for the day. DS1 helped me with dinner while DS2 chatted and served drinks. We all played board games in the afternoon and now the visitors have gone the DC are back in their caves .

I'd expect their presence for relatives, but for my friends, they can do what they want, I wouldn't insist on anything. Mine will usually come and say hello at least because they are nosy!

I don't insist on anything but 14yo and 13yo often join us. They are pretty chatty types.
Also they are constantly hungry lately so are often prowling around in hope of interesting food.

A at minimum.
If they want to stay and join in, then fab, but not everyone feels sociable all the time. Will not countenance D (and if E, then, well, E: they're out. No problem).

We had NDNs in this afternoon for drinks. We don't know them that well as they haven't lived there that long and are both out at work in the week. DS knew they were coming, but I had not told him tht he had to be there. I was amazed to find that he appeared as soon as they did, sat with us in the living room for the entire 2 1/2 hrs they were here, joined in the conversation and then retreated to his room as soon as they went. There was the draw of alcohol which may have secured his presence.
He may turn out to be sociable yet!

ds (18) - probably E
dd1 (16) - probably A
dd2 (13) - C, without a doubt, however hard you tried to get rid of her