All I want to know is, whatever happened to being a guest? I am talking about being invited over to someone's house, whether for birthday party or get together, and actually FEEL like a guest. I am starting to feel like the old fashion being host/hostess has gone done the drain.
When people come over to our house, I rarely ask anyone to bring any food and if they ask, I will say chips or something that is not going to take time to make or bake as I want them to come over and enjoy themselves. I NEVER ask anyone to do the dishes, I NEVER ask anyone to clean up their spot at the table and I try to be as attentive as possible so people never have to feel uncomfortable making their way through my kitchen. I am always exhausted at the end of a get together and that is the way it is suppose to be.
What I have been noticing of late, is that it is MUCH more work for us to go to someone else's house for dinner, then it is just to stay at home and me make a 3 course meal! First, I always have to bring a dish (which I love to bake & cook and have no problem sharing, BUT it is a lot of work making it before hand), I have to bring all of Brock's stuff (including chair, food, bib, sippy, etc.)... plus, everyone now days expects you to get into the kitchen afterwards and start filling up their dishwasher and wiping down their table.
I am seriously not talking about one person in particular, it is EVERYONE... and I have to say how incredibly uncomfortable it is, no matter how close you are to someone, to be in someones kitchen cleaning up! On top of that, I have to clean up my own kids, the highchair, the floor where Brock threw all his food, which to me is a given and I am going to do it no matter what. So, I have enough to do just taking care of my own kids after dinner and then to feel the pressure to run into the kitchen and start cleaning... man, I am just ready to go home at that point because I am doing more work eating at your house, then it would have been at my own! It really should not be that way.
So, I guess what I am saying is, next time one has a get together, don't just try to come up with the easiest and cheapest way to get by, but make it a treat for guests... make them feel like guests. I just want to have a fun time out with my friends and family and not deal with all the uncomfortableness!!
I mean seriously, do you think June Cleaver would have made her guests get in the kitchen after dinner?? NO WAY!
