Look, wanting someone to leave but not knowing how to get them to leave is awkward. Here are a few things you can do to ensure an offensive free departure.
- Prior to your family or friends coming over, if you know that you only want them to stay for a certain amount of time, let them know they are welcome to come over but will need to leave by “x o’clock” so you can do x, y, z around the house, or run an errand, or get your kid down to nap. If your guest has this info ahead of time, they will know when it’s time to leave and you shouldn’t even have to have a conversation about it.
- If someone stops by and is overstaying their welcome or you had planned guests over and they’re staying a little longer than you had expected:
- “Thanks so much for stopping by, it’s always nice to see you! I’d love for you to stay all afternoon but I have a few things to do. Let’s plan on another visit soon.”
- “Wow, I didn’t realize what time it was! I need to do some things around the house/I need to run an errand/I need to start on dinner. Can we plan on another visit soon?”
- “I’d love to hang out longer but I have some things to do – sorry for cutting our visit short!”
- “Thanks for coming for dinner! I wish we could hang out all night but I have an early morning/I have to get the kids to bed. Let’s plan on getting together another night soon!”
The above are very polite, in my opinion. And if the guests you have over are good friends or family, they won’t be offended by you asking them to leave. If you are close enough, you could also just tell them you’re kicking them out (I’ve done that as well and they think my bluntness is somewhat funny – best case scenario).
Hope these tips help!
Tablespoons & Teaparties 