How would you all deal with this situation? We want family kids at our reception if the parents want to bring them. The problem is that FI side of the family (aunts, cousins, etc.) don't want us to have kids at our reception. Someone has been spreading around that we don't want kids there, and also they keep telling us that we don't want kids there, it is not fun with kids. We are getting a little tired of this and today was the last straw when I got an email saying that they had found a babysitter for their kids but wanted us to find a room at the reception place for their kids and their babysitter.
We have compromised and we will have our own babysitter there IF people want to take their kids there, but we are in no way insisting that they do so. Also we are not advertising that there will be a babysitter there because we don't want everyone and their brothers bringing their children and us having to pay for their food when they wouldn't have brought them otherwise.
I guess my question is how would you deal with this without being rude. I know that they are already being rude, but I need to deal with this nicely so that I don't start off on the wrong foot going into this family. Any suggestions would be great.