How Do You Ring in the New Year with Young Kids?

I put them to bed and finally get some me time lol.
yep I'm THAT parent. I NEED me time. and The only time I get it is when they are asleep.

I just responded to "sick and stuck at home for nye" with an answer you might like...its basically to celebrate new year for a different country as that country hits their own midnight. For example, right now its about midnight in China, so maybe you can look up or read something about China or what Chinese kids do when they celebrate the new year, or what they eat or play with. Or maybe just learn how to say Happy New Year in that language!

Have fun whatever you do.

Well, if you are going to stay home, get some noisemakers and sparkling cider and special snacks and watch the TV coverage of your favorite ball drop. If you aren't staying home, find a family friendly party to attend. Or if you are up to it, call a friend with similarly-aged kids and invite them to watch the ball drop with you.

We have taken DD to a friend's house where there are often 3 or 4 similar aged kids watching the ball drop at a pretty quiet celebration. It's not glitz or glam, but it's friends, food, and fun and we can have a good time not worrying about DD. The kiddos put on PJs around 11 and if they fall asleep, we just roll them in to the car after midnight.

Dance music on the ipod, noisemakers, poppers, hats, beads, and sparkling grape juice with a mock countdown at 8:00. We also make some fun food like homemade personal pizzas. After the kids are in bed, DH and I hang out for a bit and then go to bed. It's super fun to stay at home.

Probably nothing this year. I tried discussing it with my almost 5 year old yesterday, and she has no interest.

Hubby is working, the meat eaters will have lobster pasta sauce and I'm hoping to catch up on sleep since the whole family is coming for dinner tomorrow and I'm 31 weeks pregnant.

Updated

Probably nothing this year. I tried discussing it with my almost 5 year old yesterday, and she has no interest.

Hubby is working, the meat eaters will have lobster pasta sauce and I'm hoping to catch up on sleep since the whole family is coming for dinner tomorrow and I'm 31 weeks pregnant.

We will have pizza, I might get some sparkling cider for my 4 year old. I will make some appetizers. Let my little guy pick a movie. and we old foggys will be in bed by 11 if not sooner. I can not remember the last time we saw midnight.. It is not worth it to us, since the kids still get up early..

We are going toboganning this afternoon. Tonight we will be staying home and having crab legs, lobster tails and shrimp for dinner, then play board games and watch movies until midnight. I think we've stayed home every NYE since the kids were born. They like to watch the ball drop on TV. On New Years Day the Lt. Governor and the Premier throw a New Years Levee at the Legislative building, and we take the kids to that. There are choirs and other performers, a reception and horse drawn sleigh rides around the grounds. I put a turkey in the over before we leave for the Levee. After our turkey dinner the kids get to open a present.

we make our own chicken cordon bleu...all of us together...from pounding the chicken breasts, to laying the ham and cheese....

then we either watch a movie or the old Twilight Zone marathon. We have also been known to play games.

We have egg nog (well, I don't) and the bubbling grape cider that looks like champagne and toast in the new year...they usually have to wake me up at midnight!!! but it's fun!!!

We're invited to an open house tonight, so might drop in on that for an hour or so. Otherwise, we aren't staying up later than 10 -11 (the adults) because we are older and we just.don't.care.:)

We might give Kiddo a little party favor or two, just for fun.
(I had enough stay-up-late nights in the first 3 years of Kiddo's life to make up for any moment I might be missing tonight!)

We've had a few late nights already this weekend (late wake-ups, late naps, late dinner, late bed), so we'll let the kids stay up to watch the ball drop in Times Square. That's 10 pm our time, so not CRAZY late. We have been busy all weekend replacing furniture, reorganizing the house, etc. so today we're going to play outside, eat junk all day, make a decent dinner and drink various bubbly beverages as dictated by our age/pregnancy status. :-)
If I can manage one more organizing task, I might even find the giant box of party poppers that I believe I have stashed away.
Happy New Year everyone and remember to be safe!

We would always wake them up to see the ball come Dow, kiss n hug and back to bed. Happy New Year everyone.

tonight we're watching the LSU tigers smoke the Clemson tigers! I'm an LSU Alum and my husband a Clemson:) I am beyond excited! We're making that a big deal for our girls this year! Happy New Year!

My kids spend it with my Mom but here is what they do and they love it. She has an upstairs with a balcony and they make a ball and confetti and drop off the side! It makes a huge mess and they say it's awesome!

My kids are going to bed tonight at 9, just like any other night.
Then my husband and I are going to be at 11....maybe we will ring in the new year on a "high" note....or maybe we will be sleeping.
To me NYE is just another day of the year.
L.

Our kids are 7 and 4. Each year we stay in. I have no desire to go to a busy restaurant with the kids and drive with the drunks.

We buy crab legs and that's lots of fun. The kids are starting to expect it and look forward to it. Maybe we watch a movie or something with some yummy snacks. Right now we are starting to build our Lego city on the dining room table. For us, it's family time at home. We let them stay up later than usual so it feels like a different day, but they are still young enough where they get tired at their normal time, so it's not much difference.

Similar to AV-I have spakling juice for them. I let them use the China and wineglasses for dinner.
I'm taking ours to a playland for lunch today because they need to get outta the house. While were out Im going to pick up some ballons and noisemakers.
By the time dad gets home from work I plan on letting them decorate the living room.They also like to get dressed up.
I have let them stay up in past years, but I dont plan on it tonight-I'm with Beth ME time sounds great.

Some places have fireworks at 6:00
some places have their last Christmas light show...
Google events near you

Mine are: 18, 17, 12, 9, 7 & (almost) 5.

What we do is: Rent movies, try to watch the ball drop, make a 'firework board' (older boys attach lots of fireworks and left over's from the previous 4th on a wood board and light the whole thing, it's pretty cool), I buy them noise makers and some sparkling cider and munchies. Little kids try to stay awake...we make noise and scream "Happy New Year"! We have a toast with the cider, hugs and kisses all around....and then off to bed!

Happy New Year!

We tried a kiddie new year thing and it was crowded. I had the 20 month, 3.5-year-old and 5-year-old. It was a bit exhausting.
We just tell the kids to go to bed and maybe they'll hear fireworks tonight.
I go to bed by 9pm. I don't do late nights!

Have a pizza party with a movie. When kids are this young something so ordinary as what I describe sounds magical. Throw in some extra candy/popcorn and a pillow fight and you are good to go.

NYE is always such a hyped up holiday anyways. I loved it when I was in my 20s but could care less now that I have little kids.

I will be lucky if I am awake to see the ball drop on TV.

I thought this was a fun idea.

http://www.realcoake.blogspot.com/2012/12/family-new-year...

I have to work today and will get home around 8pm. hubby has to work at 330 tomorrow morning so we will be sleeping tonight. Another time.

So far everyone is more fun than me! ;) We're actually going to a party tonight, but I don't really want to...! Anyway, when we're home with our kids, who are now 3 & 5, we pretty much treat it like a normal day. We have gotten the sparkling cider before and we have let them shoot off confetti (not anywhere near midnight) but other than that, it's a normal day for them. They don't stay up late, they go to bed at regular time and Hubby and I sometimes make it till midnight, sometimes not! Ha!

My friend does have a countdown to noon party at her house, but she lives out of town so we never get to go! It is a cute idea though!