How to Host an Adult Dinner Party When You Have Kids

We have done this and if any of the couples have kids close to your kids age, then please do invite them as well. Having an extra play date over really keeps the kids occupied, and often those friends will pitch in for the babysitter.

Remember, you're an adult couple with kids now. So be flexible, keep your expectations reasonable given your family status. No one is going to expect you to keep your kids 'out of site, out of mind.' It's rather cute when they come in, in their PJs, to kiss you good night. I would actually practice with them before hand. ;)

We have a 2 year old. We host all the time. We live in a 2 bed apt. We have guests come round at 6:30. Little one is underfoot, until his bedtime at 8. Guests don't mind sharing in the bedtime story. I put him in the crib, sing a lullaby, close the door, and step out to a glass of wine, some appetizers and adult conversation at a civilized dinner hour.

It can be done. Its easier of course if you've "noiseproofed" your kid and gotten them used to their being plenty of noise and activity through their bedtime and beyond.

Good luck to you and yours,
F. B.

are any atendees parents? could you offer to pay for a sitter at their house where your kid joins? or you can tell them to bring their kids and have the kids play while you guys eat?

We do this all the time and it does work. We host an adult dinner party 2 or 3 times a year and have always hired a sitter to take care of our children so that we can enjoy our party. We tell her upfront what will be OK and she's great about keeping the kids occupied and having fun without being under foot.

We don't have a big house either, but for just that one night... the kids are allowed to play in their room, watch a DVD in their room and even... yes, have a picnic in our room with pizza and juice before snuggling in with a movie. Of course, they come out and say hello, go to the bathroom, go to the kitchen, but they are not part of the party in any way.

I have been a babysitter at an adult dinner party before. If you hire a confident, mature babysitter for the task they may be more successful at keeping the kids occupied. The kids I watched did interrupt the dinner a couple times, but their parents didn't mind because overall, they were getting a break from the responsibility and attention the kids demanded. My own children would interrupt multiple times in this situation. They like to put on a show.

We have had "adult" parties in our home.
I have 2 kids that are now 6 and 10.
We tell our kids it is a grown up gathering and we explain to them about it.
But we don't exclude them. They are there, too.
The guests know that.
My kids interact with everyone and the guests enjoy them.
But it is all adults. No other kids.
It has been fine.
And as a Mom, even if the kids are sequestered somewhere else in the home... they will call you or need you at times. They are kids.
So that is expected and I never expect them, to be invisible or silent.
It just is.
But my kids are adjusted and behaved at these "adult" gatherings.
So it has never been a problem, having them around.
And when it is their bedtime, I go and do it. The guests don't expect me as a parent, to just not do it, its just life.

Depends on your kids. When mine were little, a good video and some computer games and they'd be glued to the TV for at least a couple hours.

We had a babysitter that would keep them at their home until the party was over. We tried several ways and having them at another home always worked the best.

Good luck to you and yours and with your party.

Find a trustworthy sitter who will take the kids at her home for the evening. I promise you, that's your optimal solution, otherwise they will keep popping out. I've been both the parent and sitter in THAT situation, and it sucked on both sides. Only, as a parent, I was far more polite and less irritated by it because I knew how much of a challenge it really is.

We threw a cocktail party last month for my husband's 50th birthday, and our son stayed overnight with a beloved sitter. Worked out splendidly for everyone. Just be sure to pay the sitter well.:)

I would suggest finding a sitter that can watch them at their house. If you are not wanting them to come in the room it's harder for them to realize they can't go somewhere in their own house that they are used to going in. I know my mom and dad used to have bible studies when I was little and our house was pretty big but I always went in there cause I knew my parents were in there.

Good luck. It wouldn't work in our house.

We can scrape out a little bit of adult time if the kiddos are watching a movie. But it's not a huge block of time (like hours).

We are the party house...we love hosting parties. We have parties with kids and parents but then parties with only adults.

Try talking to some of the attenders of your party ahead of time and see if you can share a babysitter at their home. This has worked for us many times.

We have put our kids to bed a little early and set the time for the party closer to 8 pm so kids are sound to sleep. Then it is appetizers,drinks and visiting.

Good luck and best wishes!!

What time do your children go to bed? My soon to be 2 year old goes down at 7:30, but we can always push it to 7:00 if needed (he is content in his crib singing and talking to himself until he falls asleep). 7:00 is not too late for an adult dinner party! If you can put your little one down early, then you can have the sitter with the 6 year old in the other room for movie night. Your 6 year old is old enough to understand that you are off limits for a couple of hours, especially if the 2 year old is not already running all over the place. If your 2 year old will sit through a movie, that will work even better for you. Good luck!

Have all guests bring their kids and have one sitter for all in the other room. Or if one guest has sitter they like, have all kids including yours dropped off at other guests house so sitter can watch kids there. Then you enjoy dinner party without kids running around :)

hire a babysitter to entertain them at the babysitters house...

A babysitter can watch the kids are their own home. You can take the kids over there an hour before guests should be arriving. Then you can go get them once the last one has left.

You do need to make sure you let them know that you are going to be late, maybe after midnight if your parties tend to go into the wee hours.