Creative ways to sit children..?

minko1986

Hi ladies---

Out of 150 guests, 40 of them are kids. If I sit them as if they are "adults", I feel like to room would be too crowded. Is there a creative way to sit kids that would take "less space?" I thought about kids tables, but does it really take less space...?

Knottie1450123632

where else would u like to sit them.  im not understanding what u think by sitting them so they take up less space

HobokensFury

Wow that's a lot of kids. I would sit them with their parents. There are too many things that could go wrong with a kids only table. Just remember the size of the tables and chairs are the same for every guest regardless of age.

Avion22

If anything, kids usually take up MORE space than adults -- at least the young ones, who have toys, games, coloring books, strollers, diaper bags.   

If you have older kids (12-16) who know each other and get along well, like cousins maybe, then you might be okay to put them at a kids table that is close to where their parents are sitting.  Otherwise, you shouldn't put random kids together, and you need to make sure they are apporpriately supervised.  The easiest way to do this is to seat kids with their parents for dinner.  We did coloring books and crayons for the younger ones (we had a handfull between age 4 and 8) to help keep them occupied, but otherwise I don't think you need to concern yourself TOO much with a kids area or kids activities.  When ages are varried like that, and kids don't know each other, it just gets too complicated.

kmmssg

They need to sit with their parents, as a family.  This is part of the process where children learn how to act at events like this.

Everytime I go to the grocery store I see a myriad of children whose parents aren't parenting, they are ignoring.  Don't get me wrong, there ARE great parents out there, but there is a substantial number of people in public who don't teach their kids how to behave when they are out.  The idea of sitting 40 kids away from their parents is asking for some big trouble.

I would be one of the parents who wouldn't want my kids sitting at a different table, as Retread meantioned.

NOLAbridealmost

I'd say that if you've got kids who are 10 or older and who KNOW each other (like first cousins) they'd probably prefer to sit together away from their parents. Everyone else should be seated with their parents (younger children and/or older children who do not know the other older children in attendance). 

vanityink

Yeah, I'm a little confused as well. Are you saying the venue isn't big enough for 150 seats if you don't smoosh all the kids' seats together? 

But anyway, yes, kids should definitely be seated with their parents IMHO

kmmssg

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_reception-ideas_creative-ways-to-sit-children?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:5Discussion:d0e223b4-c715-4a3d-941f-b4faf088d569Post:9cca299c-276d-4792-8e93-82dabaaef132">Re: Creative ways to sit children..?</a>:
[QUOTE]Lots of kids don't really like to be told to "go sit over there because you are a kid," either.
Posted by RetreadBride[/QUOTE]

<div>Ohh... the dreaded kids table!  I probably wouldn't have minded so much at a wedding, but I HATED that at the holidays for sure.</div>

Summer2011Bride

I would seat kids with their parents unless they are much older "kids" (like 16-18). I consider them young adults and they could sit with others of their age so they don't feel like they have to be watched by their parents (unless they prefer sitting with their parents--if they don't know anyone else, they may be more comfortable that way).

But yeah any kids that are younger need to be with parents IMO.

Summer2011Bride

Oh and whatever you do, don't make the older kids sit at a table with younger ones to baby-sit them. I remember I HATED this as a teen. At holidays with one side of my family, as a kid, you were relegated to the kids' table. Then as a teen (like 15-17) you had to sit at the kids' table to watch the younger kids. I absolutely loathed it and I finally just refused and sat with my parents at the "adult" table (you could start sitting there once out of HS).

It is not enjoyable, nor really my responsibility, to baby-sit other people's children at a holiday dinner for free. I don't mind playing or entertaining younger cousins but I think I deserved an enjoyable dinner where I could actually eat and not put out fires. Please don't make any of the older "kids" responsible for something like this.

OwningAHome1981

holy crap 40 kids is a lot of kids!

Ditto on parents. A kids table could get disasterous and most teenagers would not want to sit at a kids table and have to babysit.

Just out of curiousity- do you HAVE to invite all those kids? That is a lot of kids. I can see some guests being annoyed with it. I know I would be.