We had company last night to play cards, watch football, and generally hang out. We had 34 people in our house, including 18 kids (one teenager and a bunch of little ones).
That sounds like a lot, but it wasn't bad at all. We love our friends and the kids were really good.
I also think we're getting good at managing an evening with lots of kids. Feed 'em early, give 'em enough space and options to burn up their energy, and strictly enforce the boundaries. If one of my kids comes into the "grown up space," it better be for a good reason because otherwise they're kicked right back to the kids area.
We also don't let them play the Wii when a big group of kids is over. One or two kids (like Brennan) would hog the game and the little ones never handle that well; so it's not even an option. But movies, backyards, legos, and the like seem to work pretty well.
Finally, we stick to reasonable bedtimes. Even with company my kids are going to bed around 9pm, more or less. Sometimes our friends' kids are up later but that's still manageable with a dwindling number of kids and a little more adult attention. No problem.
Over all, it makes for an enjoyable evening… for kids and adults alike.
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