Dear Queenie,
When I some friends visited me at home they brought their children with them and the kids just ran around and made a mess of our house. They bounced on chairs and the sofa and threw things around and spilled food all over, not just by the table. It took us hours to clean up after they left and for sure we won’t invite them into our house again.
But Queenie, what should we do if something like this happens another time?—Angry hosts
Dear Hosts,
In a case like this, if the parents do not control their children, it is okay to tell the children, “We do not do that in our house!” and ask their parents (several times, if necessary, and as politely as you can manage!) to please keep an eye on their kids.
If you can, and have space for it, give the children some toys to play with or a TV programme to watch, and if that does not work you can ask the parents to take their children home because they cannot settle down quietly.
And if you ever want to invite their parents again, be sure to specify that the invitation is “adults only”, they should not bring their children with them.
