If you or another family member (even your child) wants to hold a party,you’ll need to have some hosting tips to make sure that everybody,especially your guests,feel homelike and enjoy themselves.
■Invitation
If you’re having a party,you should definitely send out invitation cards.Having everything written down insures that everyone will know when,where,what to bring,what to wear,etc.
If you’re just inviting over a couple of friends,a phone call works well enough,and a face-to-face invitation will be even better.Avoid email and text messaging unless you’re inviting over your friend who comes around every week anyhow.
■Preparation
Clean your house,car,etc.wherever the gathering will be.Neat and clean environment makes your guests feel comfortable and safe.It’s not about showing off.It’s about respecting your guest enough to not force them to sit in a dirty,messy area where they can catch some illness or trip and hurt themselves.
Ask about special diets.If your guest is diabetic,vegetarian,vegan,lactose intolerant,gluten intolerant,allergic to anything,etc.,find out before you plan the menu.The easiest way to find out is to inquire your guests!
Prepare sufficient food to eat and beverage to drink.If you just have a gathering for a few minutes,have tea,coffee,juice,soda,etc.and some snacks.For mornings,have brunch foods.For afternoons and evenings,have desserts and tasty snacks.If you’re planning a party,a get-together that will last more than several hours,or a gathering that happens during a typical meal time,you should prepare the meal advanced.Even if you don’t expect that your guests will stay for the meal,having one planned means that if they do stay later than expected,you can say,“why don’t you join us for dinner” and have all the ingredients and tableware prepared,so there’s no last-minute scrambling.
Put away anything that you don’t want your guests to see,touch,etc.This is especially important if your guests are children.Close the doors of rooms that are off limits,and lock them if possible.Most bedroom door locks can be locked from the inside and opened from the outside using a small key (or in some cases a screw driver or even a paper clip).Make sure that you can unlock the doors quickly and without much effort before your guests come around; otherwise,you’ll spend your time fumbling with the lock instead of tending to your guests.
If you are planning activities,plan activities that your guest and you are both interested.Ask your guests the most important question,“Do you like...” instead of just saying,“Hey,I really like...”
Have a place to put the personal belongings of your guests.If you or they have children,or if you have pets,they should be able to put their belongings in a place where children and pets are out of reach.Have a place to hang up coats,jackets,bags,etc.If you prefer to have shoes removed in the house,have a place to put their shoes without having to pile them up in the corner.
Have cleaning supplies ready to use.If there’s a spill,you can handle it quickly.If your guest spills apple juice on her dress,you can offer her the appropriate remedy (or at least a dab from your laundry stain stick).
Have emergency medical supplies accessible.If somebody gets hurt,you should make sure you can do everything you can to assist them.
■Arrival
It is polite to greet each guest cheerfully including adults,children,and pets.Don’t simply say “hi” to the entire group.Address each person individually.
It is very important to introduce your guests to your family pets,especially for dogs,since they may regard the guest as an intruder if not properly introduced.If any animal needs to be left alone,this is the time to make that clear.
Give guests a brief tour,so they can find important rooms,like bathrooms,by themselves.
Explain house rules to children guests.Examples:
◇If somebody gets hurt,you must tell a parent no matter how tiny it is.
◇Which areas are off-limits.
◇Don’t leave the property without permission and/or parental supervision.
◇Don’t lock any doors.
◇Bedroom doors need to stay open.
◇Don’t play in the kitchen or bathroom without parental permission.
◇No yelling,hitting,etc.
◇Eat only in designated areas.
◇No borrowing,trading,or giving away toys,possessions,etc.without permission from a parent.
◇Provide refreshments,drinks,snacks,etc.
Devote your full attention to your guests.It is impolite to take phone calls for a long time,or work on projects or engage in activities that don’t involve your guests (for example,video games,television,reading,etc).
If the guests are there to visit your children,such as a play date,don’t try interfering in them when they are playing.Step back to pay attention to ensure the safety of all children as well as stop any bullying,but try to let children figure out how to interact with each other with minimal guidance.
Ask the preference of your guests.It’s inappropriate to say,“We are going to...” you should ask,“Would you like to...”
If you have to discipline a child guests,explain why their behavior is inappropriate.If the child’s parents are there,make sure to let the parents know about the situation.
■The Departure
If you need the visit to end at a specific time,pay attention to the clock,and let everyone know that “it’s getting late” or “wow,it’s almost time to wrap things up already.”
If they are child guests,give the children 30 minutes notice to end their game,clean up,and get their things together.(They may not know where everything belongs or how you clean up things in your home,so be sure to help them.)
When the guests are leaving,show each guest to the door,and thank each guest for their visit and tell them how much you loved having them visit.If they brought any gifts,you should show your appreciation for their gifts.
■The Aftermath
For parties or special gatherings,send your guest a “thank you for visiting” card.