How to Be the Perfect Party Guest

With the holidays here, it seems like everyone is having a party. There are a few things to keep in mind, especially if you find yourself lacking in invitations. There are a lot of intricacies to the party scene, and you do not want to be labeled as the person not to invite. Etiquette is a major part of the party scene and even small infractions of these unwritten laws can result in social banishment. If you have already found yourself in this situation, it is not too late. There are a couple things that you can do. If you have already found yourself on the banished list, the only way to get back onto the invitation list is to either start your life over with a new job and new friends, or you can start to throw your own parties. After enough of your own parties where you demonstrate proper etiquette, you may find yourself being invited more often. If you are not yet on the black list, consider yourself lucky and try to follow some of these rules to stay off of it.

The first scenario that we will cover is when to end a party that you are hosting. Once it starts to get a little late, the drinks are gone, and all the desserts have been eaten, how do you start to usher people out the door? One of the best things that you can do is write the ending time on the invitations. Even with this added insurance, some of your guests will try to tarry longer than expected. If this is the case, you have a couple options. You can either force everyone out, continue to fake yawn until they get the hint, or go to bed and let your significant other take of the problem. While these may be effective, they are not really the right thing to do. If you have children, you can use them to help you. If you send younger children around to say "good night" to everyone, this may put the idea that the party is over into people's minds. Another trick you can use is starting to clean things up. If your guests see you straightening things and putting the food and beverages away, they will often get the hint. There is the rare occasion that these measures will fail. At that point, you may want to inform your guests that you have a busy day the next day and need to go to bed shortly. This really works if it is an event that you have in common with your guests like a meeting at work, a sports event, or some other occasion. Another method that you can use is to suggest a nice after party or club that all of you can go to. Once you make your appearance there, you are free to go about the rest of your evening. This last method is very effective and the quickest to work. It is also the friendliest way to rid your home of guests.

One problem that just about all of us face is the fight before the party. If you and your significant other happen to have that "love spat" just before the party is set to start, don't worry. There are two things that you can do. If the party is not yours, it is a lot easier. You can be a little "fashionably" late to the party as you try to get the fight under control so that you can either continue or enter the make up phase after the party. On the off chance that you are hosting the party, you can either keep the yelling and bickering going as added entertainment, or just call a truce until the party is over. Then you can pick up the blood letting as soon as the last guest is gone. Either way, you are looking at a part two to the fight, or a quick resolution and cool down period.

When it comes to party going, you need to realize that not everyone enjoys the same diet that you do. This is more apparent in this new vegetarian age that we are in. If there are any diet constraints that you may have, you will need to ask what the menu looks like at the party. In the event that you are a vegetarian, vegan, or any of the other varied diet specific types out there, you will want to know what is being served. If you are a vegetarian and the party is a BBQ, you may want to ask the host if you can bring your own dish. Most hosts will welcome the addition of dishes that they do not need to purchase or fix. A small explanation may also be a nice accompaniment to show that you do not dislike their choices or cooking. You do want to ensure that it is okay prior to the party. If it seems to be a problem, eat a nice meal just prior to the party and use the excuse of your weight keeping you from partaking in the foods.

One more problem that you may encounter is a last minute invite. Being invited at the last minute can be a good thing, but for those that have children, or a dog, it may prove difficult to find a sitter on short notice. If your children are too young to be on their own for an hour or two, you can use this as a reason to decline the invitation. You can also leave your significant other at home with the children so that you can make an appearance at the party. This will also be a good reason for you to exit early. If your children are old enough or you have a dog, you can explain that you will need to leave early to get back and check on them. Do not feel bad about turning down an invitation for these reasons. It is acceptable if you have children. You will also be sending the message that you need advance notice as well. You do want to attempt to find a way to make the party. If you continually turn down the invitations, you will find people not wasting an invitation on you.

These are the major etiquette problems that you may encounter this party season. There are several other things that may spring up though. If you use tact and a friendly demeanor, you can usually avoid any problems. Remember to respect the host's feelings when you are trying to decide what to do. If you are the host, you will need to be ready for problems and cancellations. These come naturally and you need not to be too upset. If you are the guest, you may want to bring a small gift for the host. A minor trinket that is only $5 - $10, is enough to show your appreciation for the invitation. You may find that if you practice these niceties when you are the guest, you will receive them when you host a party. A little courtesy and etiquette can go a long way in the party circles.