Get out! How to deal with guests that overstay their welcome
It’s Sunday evening, and you’ve invited friends over for dinner. They have young children, so you assume that it’ll be an early evening because there are children with bedtimes that should be enforced. Or, you have dinner with friends who are (also) professionals, and assume your 8-4 or 9-5 job schedules automatically dictate that people will be leaving soon after dessert. Sadly, you’re wrong. Here are some tips for dealing with guests that overstay their welcome.
Ask them to leave (politely)
There’s nothing wrong in letting your guests know (apologetically if that makes you feel better) that unfortunately you have an early morning and will have to “kick them out”. Said with a sense of humour and a lack of annoyance in your voice, this approach is best as it allows your guest to know why they are being asked to leave, and they may derive some small thrill from feeling like they are doing you a favour.
Pretend it’s your fault
Something along the lines of “I’m so sorry, look how long I’ve kept you with my chatting!” allows them to feel that they are not being kicked out but rather allowed to escape. This little white lie usually works…unless your guest is well aware that they have been having a monologue and you have only been nodding when appropriate. In that case they may become insulted so use this approach sparingly.
Hint by action subtly
This can be a very time consuming effort, especially if your guest is rather clueless. You may want to try stifling yawns, tidying discreetly yet visibly, and, if you have children, you can ask them to go and start getting ready for bed. You could also ask them when they go to bed, what they have planned for the following day, what time it is, in an effort to get them to be aware of their surroundings.
overstay welcome, guests, houseguests, guests that stay too late
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