Putting on the Ritz, Family-Style

It's party season again—the perfect time to teach kids what it means to be a good host and a good guest.

The art of playing host to another family

• Encourage your kids to put any items they can't bear to share out of sight. You don't want to have to mediate any teddy bear custody battles after the guests arrive.
• Suggest that each party guest bring a game to play at your house. That way, your kids won't feel like they're the only ones sharing their toys and everyone will have something new to play.
• Head off some of the chaos that occurs as guests start to arrive by giving each of your children a specific job: shuttling coats to a back bedroom, carrying food to the kitchen, helping "kid guests" find the rest of the group, etc.
• Remind your kids that it's rude to comment on people's appearance or to pass along information that you overheard. ("Is it true that you never worked a day in your life?")

The art of visiting another family

• Get the lowdown on any house rules. That way, there won't be any misunderstandings after-the-fact about which parts of that family's house are off-limits to kids (theirs and/or yours).
• Encourage your kids to bring along a board game that is fun for kids of all ages and that can be enjoyed by a large number of players.
• Remind your kids of the do's and don'ts related to food. If you don't want something, you simply say, "No, thank you." You don't have to offer any further editorial comment.