Hello and welcome to Mrs. Lady Renaissance. I have a few questions regarding dealing with children during gatherings. Certainly, this isn’t about one’s own children, but children visiting. How do you deal with kids during parties?

My questions is, how does one prepare for such company? Should one be strict? Should normal house rules (such as no-shoes or heels) apply to guests? Should one speak directly to the parents or to the children? If so, how? Finally, how does one not offend the parents/family?

These are the important questions I have and I found some answers on various websites. The best one yet is on Today.com.

Here are a few answers that are amazing:

Today.com:

It’s one thing if annoying children misbehave in public places, but what if a friend’s child is a guest in your home and is acting up?
Discuss your house rules in 25 words or less. No jumping on couches, no throwing balls. Outside behavior stays outside. If this doesn’t work and the perpetrator continues, give a warning that his mother will be called if it occurs again. If the creepy kid keeps it up — call his mother, who probably won’t be available since she’s not answering her cell phone because she needs a break from junior. At the very least, use this as a teachable moment to show your child how frustrating this is, that his buddy will not be invited over again, and put up with it until the mom finally comes to bail you out!

I remember a time when I’d be out with my parents and if I so much as crawled under the table, I’d hear about it later. Are children nowadays more “spoiled” or has there been a decrease in “responsible” parenting? Some might say ADHD has something to do with it.
Excellent question. Let’s not blame it on ADHD. Let’s dump it where it belongs —the buck stops with the parent. End of discussion! We’ve all been humiliated and mortified. Parents need to be in the same boat. We’ve all been there.

It seems that there is an unspoken rule that you can’t scold another person’s child. So what do you do if a kid becomes annoying around you?
You need to say something to the parent that doesn’t put them on the defensive. However, a lot of parents are very defensive and won’t listen to your message.

Finally, how do YOU deal with children while hosting? What is your approach?

Works Cited:

http://www.today.com/parents/hate-other-peoples-kids-heres-what-do-2D80555676