How to be a Good Guest
Are you and your family traveling this summer? With road trips and vacations underway, today we’re thinking about hosting parties and dinners and also being a guest in the homes of others. There are a million articles out there about how to be a good host, but what does it mean to be a good guest? Today we’re sharing our tips for being a great guest your family and friends will want to host again!
Be a Good Guest at Dinner
If invited over for dinner, ask what you can bring. If your host doesn’t provide direction, take the lead and tell them what you plan to bring. When in doubt, a bag of classic potato chips and sour cream and onion dip will always be a hit.
A few hours before the event and check in with your host and see if there’s anything you can bring or pick up on your way over. A bag of ice is always a welcome last minute grab.
Ask if it’s a shoes off household. Chances are if there’s a big pile of shoes by the door, your host would prefer you don’t wear shoes in their house.
Planning to bring a gift for your host? It doesn’t have to be fancy. If you like to bake, maybe bake a breakfast item your host can enjoy the next morning or some frozen balls of chocolate chip cookie dough they can bake off at another time. A bag of coffee, box of tea, local eggs, box of crackers, or some flowers already arranged in a small jar or pitcher are great, simple gifts to bring.
Take cues from your host. If they look stressed and could use a hand, ask how you can help and pitch in with simple tasks like filling a pitcher of water, carrying plates, clearing dishes, or entertaining their kids while they finish up their tasks. For some hosts, this level of help might stress them out more, so help where you can without being intrusive. In this case, your host may welcome you to keep them company in the kitchen while they finish up.
Be a present guest. Keep your phone put away and don’t take phone calls or respond to texts unless it’s an emergency. If you need to check in with a babysitter or something comes, politely mention you need to check in and step away when the time makes sense.
Show interest in what your host prepared. Ask questions about what they made.
Ask more questions than you answer. Keep the conversation moving and don’t dominate with long-winded stories. A good challenge for kids is to see if when they answer a question they can ask their own follow-up question.
Always thank your host, whether via text, phone, email, or snail mail.
Be a Good Guest on Overnight Stays
Don’t show up empty-handed. Bring something from home for your host to enjoy. Maybe it’s a locally made soap, assorted snacks, a tried and true favorite of yours; a drugstore hand cream, chocolate bar, a recent book you enjoyed, a small pitcher, or cloth napkins. Maybe you can surprise your host with something they love and can’t get where they live (see stashing a jar of American peanut butter into your suitcase for your European friends).
Talk through the plans your host has made. Make sure you’re aware of reservations, what time you’ll need to be ready to leave, etc. If you have plans that don’t involve your host, make sure your host is aware of your schedule and don’t treat your stay like one at a hotel.
Now’s not the time to sleep the day away. Your host may be preparing breakfast or be ready to get the day started early. Likewise if you wake before your host, be aware of their sleep habits, and keep children occupied with something quiet away from where your host is sleeping.
Be aware of your surroundings. Manage your dishes by rinsing and stacking in the sink, washing, or loading into the dishwasher. If you take the last of the coffee, offer to make more or turn off the coffee maker. Refill water pitchers, place coasters under drinks, and keep the space or room you’re sleeping in tidy. Make the bed, put away extra blankets or pillows.
If you are able, offer to pay for a meal or help with food preparation.
If you sense your host needs a break, take 5-30 minutes in your guest space to give them some space or offer to walk their dog, or play outside with the kids.
Before you leave, empty your trash, strip the bed (we like to remove sheets and pillowcases and just pull the comforter or blanket back up and make the bed), and make sure the bathroom is tidy.
Communicate clearly about your stay. Don’t leave your departure day a mystery. Don’t overstay your welcome and make sure your host clearly knows your plans.
Thank your guest for their hospitality. If staying multiple nights, a hand written thank you goes a long way!
Don’t forget to utilize your planner for your summer travel, especially the travel layout! Note any dietary restrictions or food loves/dislikes for your host and their family. We love to keep these notes in our planner and review before an upcoming trip. And when it comes to hosting, what do you wish your guests would know? When you are a guest, how do you ensure you’re invited back? Tell us in the comments below!