Content

• Steps
• Method 1 of 3: Throwing a Dinner Party or Party
• Method 2 of 3: Hosting overnight guests
• Method 3 of 3: General Guidelines
• Warnings

To a certain extent, the rules for receiving guests depend on the guests and the situation: for example, you may need to host a guest who needs to spend the night, or have a party. If a close friend or relative comes to visit, you can behave as usual, but if one of the relatives brings a stranger with them, you will have to work hard. Whatever the situation, there are a number of recommendations that you can follow to make you feel welcome.

Steps

Method 1 of 3: Throwing a Dinner Party or Party

1. 1 Invite people you like and trust. You shouldn't call people if you don't like them and if you don't want to get close to them. Choosing the right guests will help you be a good host. Think about how comfortable the guests will be in each other's company. Do not call people who are unlikely to be able to find a common language or who have been in conflict with each other for a long time.
2. 2 Indicate the start time of the event. It is important to know when guests are coming. Let them know about the party in advance (at least a week in advance, or even earlier if the event is important). Remember, people will need to find time in their schedule. Don't ask people to just drop by if you really want to see them. Specify the exact time so that your words sound like an invitation. You can specify a period of time, but it should not be more than a few hours.
   • If guests are late, try to make them feel comfortable. Don't be angry with them all evening or it will make the problem worse. Be at ease, as if you hadn't noticed you were late.
   • The courtesy policy requires you to inform people about the event in advance. If people know what to expect, it will be easier for them to plan their time.
3. 3 Consider your guests' food habits and allergies. When choosing a meal, consider your guests' preferences. Ask people in advance if they have food allergies or special food requirements. If you invite a vegetarian and fry the meat, both of you will feel uncomfortable. Prepare something that you can enjoy cooking.
   • Don't say, "Do you have any food preferences?" Better to frame the thought like this: “I want to invite everyone to dinner on Friday.Do you have any food allergies or special food requirements that I should know about? "
   • You should not throw all your efforts into preparing the most complicated dish. Guests will be delighted with any delicious food.
4. 4 Clean up your house. Before guests arrive, clean up out of respect for your guests. If there is a mess at home, guests will feel that you do not care what surrounds you, and they will be uncomfortable visiting you. Remove toys, tools, debris. Eliminate allergy pathogens by vacuuming carpets, rugs, and upholstered furniture.
   • If you have a dog that likes to greet guests (jump on them or bark when they enter), temporarily lock it in another room. Some people are afraid of dogs and try not to even approach them, others may be allergic to dog hair.
   • If you have animals at home, ask if guests are afraid of animals and if they are allergic to wool. If there is an allergy, warn animals so that people can take antihistamines on time.
5. 5 Be hospitable. When guests arrive, open the door for them and show them where to put things. Show the bathroom and toilet, lead to the living room and invite to sit. Never leave your guests alone at the front door and do not expect them to follow you if you are silent. If you need to finish something, communicate with the guests, completing the case at the same time. By the time the guests arrive, you should have already cleaned it up, so you just have to finish cooking.
   • Ask your relatives or people who live with you to entertain guests while you finish cooking. Place hand-held snacks on the coffee table in the living room for an appetite.
   • Ask guests what they would like to drink. Suggest at least two drink options. Find the drinks that best suit the event. Drinks can be coffee, tea, water, beer, wine.
6. 6 Prepare all (or almost all) food for the arrival of the guests. Do not hurry. Don't fuss, or the guests will think they are causing you difficulties.
7. 7 Offer your guests drinks after dinner. After dinner, serve drinks after serving dessert. You can serve coffee, tea or alcohol. Sit on the couch and chat with friends over a cup of tea or a glass of wine.
8. 8 Entertain guests with conversation. Discuss what they are interested in talking about. Ask questions about their work, travel, family. Don't complain about how your child has been sick all week or about family problems. Express interest in what the other person is saying. Try to make the conversation easy and fun.
   • You can talk about business, but be careful with this topic. Many people choose to keep their work and personal lives separate. Try to understand if your guests are ready to talk about it, and do not impose the topic.
9. 9 Let your guests know that you value them. If they want to leave, ask them to stay a little longer, because you like their company. Tell them that you had a really good time and that you want to see each other again. If you notice that the guests enjoyed a meal, offer to put it away with you. Tell them that you don't care about a lot of food and that you are happy when someone is happy to eat your food.

Method 2 of 3: Hosting overnight guests

1. 1 Think about how well you know your guests. It is not uncommon for people to host guests who stay overnight, but how much is available to a guest depends on the degree of closeness between you. If you are staying with a close friend or relative, you will happily let them behave at home, but if a stranger comes to you (for example, a guest who found out about you through AirBnB or Couchsurfing.org), the nature of your relationship will be different. Nevertheless, hospitality should be shown in all cases.
   • If you rent an apartment on AirBnB, you may not be in the house when the guest arrives. You may be away.Leave notes everywhere for your guest to help them understand how to behave in your home.
2. 2 Prepare your bed linen. Leave enough towels if possible. Place a neutral scent shower gel or soap in the bathroom, and prepare a mid-range neutral shampoo and conditioner.
   • If the guest has a private room, you can put all your cosmetics on the bedside table with a note: "If you need anything, feel free to ask." If the guest has their own bathroom, you can leave everything you need there.
3. 3 Think about the room temperature. It is impossible to predict how comfortable a person will be. Some people like it when it's warm, while others prefer coolness. Don't think that a person will be comfortable just because you are comfortable. Prepare a spare blanket and place it in your dresser, on your bed, or on the top shelf in your closet.
4. 4 Allow the guest to use the washing machine and iron. Leave your iron and ironing board in the closet or in the corner of the room. Show where the washing machine is and how to use it. If your guests come from far away, they will probably want to do their own laundry.
5. 5 Offer guests breakfast, but don't feel obligated to change your habits for the sake of the guests. If you get up early, leave a note on the table explaining that you are having breakfast at 7 am (or any other time) and that you will be glad if guests join you. Breakfast can be arranged in the evening before bed. Don't forget to say what will be for breakfast.
   • If your guest doesn't like breakfast or doesn't want to get up early, you can invite him to cook in your kitchen, suggest a good place for breakfast, or leave a simple breakfast for him on the table. You can leave baked goods, butter and jam for the guest to have something to eat before lunch.
   • The guest should feel welcome, but remember that your needs are more important. You don't have to change the routine that the whole family follows for the sake of a guest.
6. 6 Help the guest get comfortable with your home. Offer your guest food, snacks, and tell them where to go. Show where you store tea, coffee and sweets and explain how to connect to the internet. Since you are the host, you don't have to wait for your guest, but you can include them in your daily routine. You can offer to walk around the city or go on a hike together, but you should not insist on this if the person just wants to be at home.
7. 7 Show the guest your area or leave directions for them. If you have time, introduce the guest to your area and friends. Show where the landmarks are in the city and try to colorfully describe the place where you live. If you cannot devote a whole day to a guest (for example, you need to study or work), suggest interesting routes to him or ask him to wait for you at home.
   • If your guest wants to explore a new city on their own, don't feel obligated to leave your car for him. Give him a bike or subway pass. Explain the best way to get around the city. Suggest a couple of attractions and say you can meet up somewhere in the city in the evening.
   • Try to make sure that the guest is not bored, but remember that you do not have to entertain the person all the time - he can do it himself.

Method 3 of 3: General Guidelines

1. 1 Prepare your home for the arrival of guests. Being a good host means creating a pleasant atmosphere from the moment guests enter the house. This means that you will need to prepare ahead of time. Tidy up, allocate space for bags, shoes, clothes and umbrellas for guests. If you plan on playing games or watching something, have everything ready before the guests arrive.
   • What you may be ashamed of, guests will be unpleasant to see: dirt; specific books, magazines, films; a mess in a closet or dresser.
   • Check in advance if guests have any allergies.Ask about allergies to foods, drinks, animals, detergents.
2. 2 Be clear about the house rules. When guests arrive, tell them the basic house rules. This does not mean that you need to teach them something. You just have to explain what you expect from their stay in your home.
   • If you want guests to take off their shoes, don't wait while they walk around the apartment. Take off your shoes immediately and invite guests to do the same. The guests will understand.
   • If you have furniture that guests should not touch or areas that they should not be allowed to enter, tell them right away to avoid future misunderstandings.
   • Show the bathroom and toilet immediately. This way, no one has to interrupt the conversation with a sudden question.
3. 3 Give guests the opportunity to help you around the house, but don't expect too much from them. Do not force guests to clean up, but do not refuse if they are willing to help you. Many people choose to do something rather than wait to be served. If your hands are busy with something, any discomfort will go away.
   • Give your guests little errands like clearing away dirty plates or putting dessert on the table.
   • If the guest offers to wash the dishes, it is better to refuse and offer the person a drink. Let him sit in the kitchen and chat with you while you wash the dishes. If the person wants to help you anyway, put things aside and just talk to them, ignoring the dirty dishes.
4. 4 Make sure the guest is physically comfortable. No one likes to stand in the middle of a room with a bag in their hands and not knowing where to go. Take from the hands of the person what he does not need (if he so wants), and invite him to sit down. Bring a drink. When a person is settled, you can even leave for a short time (under the pretext of having to bring a drink) so that he can rest and look around.
   • If you constantly communicate with a person, he cannot immerse himself in the atmosphere of the house, because of which he will be distracted from the conversation. But this does not mean that you should leave the guest alone for a long time. 1-2 minutes will be enough.
   • People need to keep their hands busy. Offer the guest a drink and snacks, but you must also eat yourself, otherwise the person will feel greedy and gluttonous. Eat something yourself.
5. 5 Think about entertainment. It would be impolite to invite a person, and then ask him to come up with entertainment for you. The person will not know what can and cannot be done in your home, and he will be uncomfortable making decisions. Even if you don't know if your guest will like the board game, any game will be better than nothing.
6. 6 Keep the conversation going. One of the host's main tasks is to keep track of the evening. You will need to set a positive tone for the conversation and intervene if something goes wrong. Be prepared to steer the conversation in the other direction - change the topic or take on the person who gives everyone an inconvenience. Your job as a host is to make your home a safe and pleasant place for everyone who comes to you, no matter who is causing problems.
   • Think about topics for conversation in advance. Think about what you would like to ask each of the guests: about a new job, about a child, about a trip. Prepare questions in advance so you don't have to remember everything on the go.

Warnings

• Don't discuss other people and mutual friends. This is gossip, and there is nothing good about gossip. It is better to remain silent, so as not to accidentally say something that you will regret later.
• If your guest starts saying unpleasant things about someone else, change the subject or serve dessert.
• If you mention a person you don't like, be silent and nod.