One of the biggest lifestyle changes many new parents encounter is the bedtime "lockdown" or at least that's what we call it at our house. Once the kiddies are in bed, there's lots of time for house chores, bill paying, tv watching - anything that involves staying in the house.
We often use this adult time to invite our friends over for a simple meal or dessert. Here are some tips for stress-free entertaining while the kids are sleeping:
Prepare some simple appetizers. This way if you're running a little late with the bedtime routine, your guests won't be starving.
Have a quick tidy up plan. We use a large basket for picking up stray toys quickly. Later we sort through the basket to find the proper place for each item. Also, pick up some fresh flowers to instantly dress up the room.
Turn on the white noise machine. Usually our friends are good about not being too loud but it's definitely more boisterous in the house so turning on a white noise machine or using a fan in the room keeps loud guffaws from waking sleeping babes. We also have a friend who uses draft protectors to help block out light, sound, and smells from cooking.
(pic via Living Etc.)
Use a draft protector to block out smells? really? I'm not trying to be judgemental... I have two little kids and I know everyone has different needs, but I've never known anyone to have to worry about smells.
view sarahez's profile
I agree with sarahez- that's weird.
I've found that as long as everyone is quite enough until my daughter falls asleep, the noise can go up at a fairly regular pace to normal levels and she'll continue to sleep through it. I do keep music playing in her room all night though... it's her "white noise".... it's actually a CD she's been listening to since she was born, and as long as I have that music, I can now (at 17 months) put her to sleep at anyones house and the music lets her know it's OK to sleep there.
view teeze's profile
We also have a friend who uses draft protectors to help block out light, sound, and smells from cooking.
Light from cooking? That must be some fire!
view stickyricemama's profile
Stickyricemama, I think she meant [light], [sounds], and [smells from cooking].
And SaraHez, NOW you've heard of someone who has to worry about smells, so that saves you the conundrum of how not to be judgmental the next time. ;)
Every kid and every situation really is different. Maybe this family has a tiny apartment with little ventilation.
view kate b.'s profile
we live in a small apt and we definitely have to worry about smells as the baby's room is right by the kitchen! A draft protector sounds like a great idea! We also use a small fan in baby's room to help drown out some of the post-bedtime apartment noise.
view brkylnmama's profile
I have definitely had my child wake up before due to the smells of some late night cooking. I wish I had thought of putting down a draft protector until. Brilliant.
view kessic's profile
We'd love to invite friends over after the kids are asleep, but all our friends have kids of their own. Everyone is in lockdown!!
view cwiz24's profile
we recently moved into a new space that has a little more separation of living and sleeping spaces and it has been sooooooo nice. we have totally been doing the nighttime entertaining thing! keep it simple with appetizers or dessert, plenty of beverages (alcoholic and non) and lots of music. the weather outside is finally getting bearable and we are looking forward to some movie-watching nights in the backyard with some friends.
we've never had trouble with our very light-sleeping daughter waking as long as we set everyone's arrival times late enough. good hour to hour-and-a-half with a gentle reminder to NOT show up early has sufficed.
and yes, food smells can be quite unsettling to sleep in small spaces. once put a pot of black beans in the slow cooker overnight when we had our small apartment and NO ONE got any sleep. "too beany"
view aneelee's profile