Ask Emma

Question: In recent years, it became a tradition among our friends to celebrate the New Year’s night at our place. My husband and I have no children and live in a large house. We love our friends and are always happy to entertain, but we invest heavily into our home, and we want to keep it the way we like. The problem is, all our friends have little children between 5 and 13 years old, and they always bring them along for a holiday night. As you can imagine, kids get tired around midnight, and my husband and I are pressed to put them to bed in our bedroom, in our guest room, and even in the office, where we build impromptu bedding on the floor. This not only creates a nuisance for our carefully decorated house, it interferes with the celebration. Last year we missed the countdown. How can I tell my friends to please let their kids sleep at home while they are attending an adult party?
Answer: By law, children under 12 cannot be left at home alone. For many parents, hiring a babysitter during holidays is rather daunting. For some, the price is prohibitive, and others just want their children to participate in the festivities. Since you’ve been hosting your friends’ children on New Year’s night for several years already, you might not be able to change the rules without risking to lose the whole company. The best thing to do would be to prepare for the “invasion,” go easy on decorating bedrooms, make temporary beds in advance, and let the parents tuck in their children even if they must miss the countdown. Kiss your husband at midnight and be happy that you have no business putting any little brats to bed.