I am having a small dinner party mid-week—nothing extravagant, just a few friends over for dinner and conversation. My kids decide, after asking what’s on the menu, to make themselves scarce. How simple it gets to be at this age to have people over for dinner and not have to worry about the kids!
I have always been an “entertainer”—even when my kids were small. Since I love to cook and entertain, I just had to find a way to continue even as a single mom with three children—children who weren’t always keen on “having people over for diner.” Sometimes, I definitely got the babysitter or planned to entertain when the kids would be at their grandparents’ or their dads. If the menu included food they loved (anything cooked on the grill), they have been inclined to not only want to participate, but to have their own friends over too. Having people over for dinner has just been one of those things that were part of our family life.
Things have not always gone smoothly. There was a dinner buffet a couple years ago where my two girls got in an actual rare physical altercation upstairs and made quite the impression on my guests. I was suitably horrified and wondered how they could continue to find new ways to be surprisingly naughty. There have also been guests who were not so keen on having children around. I finally learned several years ago that when I extend invitations, I tell people: “I have children and cats, please let me know if you are allergic to either.”
I think it will be interesting to see if my own children grow up to be entertainers and “have people over for dinner” (or brunch, or lunch, or barbecues)—perhaps they will have had enough of it growing up, or perhaps, they will have a high tolerance for the potential chaos and enjoy the energy of food, friends, and family—just like their mother.
See Also: Embracing and Fostering Spontaneity in Family Life and Weekends: Family Time, Relaxation, Work, or Homework?