New Year's Eve with Children

[snss75]

Apart from a party at someone's house, what do people with children usually do on New Year's Eve? I'm trying to think some things we could do as a family with a 7 year old and am struggling with ideas! Are there any events etc. happening that are geared towards families? Any tips would be greatly appreciated :)

[esme]

We should all arrange one!! Wonder if a local hall or pub would be interested in holding an event earlier in the eve before the adults come along... hmm

[canela]

what do parents with children do on new years? toss a coin to see who gets to stay up...

[The Nappy Lady]

Ha!!

These days we get together with a load of neighbours/other parents at one of the houses, put the kids to bed like puppies all piled up in a room, and then party on dudes. Eat, drink, see in the new year, congratulate ourselves on how we are still young and funky and can stay up really late (4am last year, I was soooo proud of myself)!!

Then on New Years Day ensure all friends and neighbours return ASAP to collect their off spring, or if all else fails take them round to their house themselves. Then allow own children the rare joy of an entire day of CBBC or films etc. whilst you quietly die on the settee!!!

Actually, our 2 are now 4 and 8 so the sleepover tends to work out really well, with children playing together fine the next morning (and sticking to the strict instructions NOT to wake us up unless someone is actually in grave danger). Then friends and parents tend to take ours back with theirs for a play date in the afternoon (or vice versa), so each of us gets half a day with kids and half a day without to recover.

It gets easier guys...just make sure you have lots of local parent pals!!

When they were under 2 we just went to bed at 10am, the got up early on New Years Day for a walk and felt very smug about being part of that very rare breed of people who felt fab and didn't have a hangover!

Molly

xx

[canela]

ha ha ha! i can remember that from when i was a kid. tho our parents were a bit more laissez faire. used to put all the kids - about 20 of us - in one house with the older ones to look after the little ones. then they'd all go party in another house a few streets away. one year we made the terrible decision to surprise them by turning up at midnight! just imagine, a gang of 20 wee ones - including some really wee ones! - in their pjs walking down the street, all happy thinking of how surprised mummy and daddy are going to be. i can still remember how not-at-all-happy they were to see our little faces at the door!