Growing
up we lived in California, Colorado, and Washington, so family often visited
from out of town. Additionally, we would travel to Minnesota for many holidays
and stay with my maternal grandparents. As a child, those are some of my
happiest memories. As an adult, I have until a recent trip, always stayed in
hotels, though I enjoy having out of town guests stay with me. As some of you
may know, I recently had a very unpleasant experience as an out of town guest.
In light of this, I thought I'd share some tips on what makes a good host.
- Have an open heart when inviting guests to stay in your home. Avoid feeling it is an obligation or that you'll let them stay if they in turn do something for you.
- When you say, "make yourself at home," mean it.
- If your guests are unfamiliar with the area and will be doing some things on their own, provide information on local attractions, restaurants, stores. Also provide easy directions to and from your home and major roads as not everyone has GPS.
- Provide toiletries (soap, lotions, etc.) and towels. Provide additional (or change out) hand towels for your guests.
- Consider providing a welcome basket by their bed that includes snacks such as nuts, dried fruit, chips, breath mints, bottled water. You can even include a welcome note for an extra welcoming touch.
- Provide a key to the house and/or a garage door opener.
- Dress appropriately. Even if you say, “well, it is my house!”, remember that you have guests who might not be comfortable seeing you in various stages of undress.
- As not everyone has the same sleep schedule, if you like to sleep in and your guests are early risers, have coffee, cereal, pastries, and the like, set out on the kitchen counter for your guests.
- If you have food items that are being saved for the holiday dinner, or another time, simply remove them from the cupboards and put aside. If the item must be refrigerated, simply let your guest know that the item is put to the side for the holiday. Avoid saying something to the effect of "off limits" which will make your guest feel less than welcome.
- Ask your guests if they have any allergies that you need to be aware. For example, I love lotions and soaps that have a lot of scent, and also love automatic room sprays, and spray my curtains with perfume. As not everyone is comfortable with scents, it is good to ask so that you make your guests comfortable.
- If your home's bedrooms are all on an upper level, do ask your guests if they will be able to navigate the stairs. This is for all ages. You may need to be prepared to set up a bed in the living room or family room.
- If you don't have a guest room, consider where you will have your guests sleep. You may consider giving your guest your room rather than your child's room. As most master bedrooms have an en suite, this is a good alternative. Young children might enjoy giving their room to others if you can make it a fun adventure such as creating a blanket fort in the family room. Avoid moving teenagers out of their room as they really do need their privacy and space at this age.
- Invite your guests to do their laundry as needed, especially if they have children or are staying for more than several days.
- If your guests offer to help with cooking, dishes, grocery shopping, do let them. Most guests want to feel they are being helpful and contributing.
Learn more on Holiday
Etiquette from my recent radio segment on:
