guest manners

[asterroc]

I just stumbled across this post on susananswergirl, asking whether it's rude to ask dinner guests to help with the dishes after dinner.

My thought is that while it might be slightly rude, it's even more rude if the guests do not offer to help. I was raised that as a guest you should always offer to help clean up. I was also raised that as a traditional hostess you should refuse anything more than minimal help (such as clearing the table, loading the dishwasher), but minimal help can make a big difference. But if the guest is hanging out after the end of the party and the hostess starts cleaning, then the guest should insist on helping (or leave).

And yet, at my last party, despite some 10 or 11 people staying overnight, only one person offerred to help with the dishes in the morning, and that person ended up leaving earlier than the others while I continued cleaning. Am I wrong in what I think is proper ettiquite? Or are my guests inconsiderate? It's not going to lead me to stop throwing parties, but I'm just curious if my expectations of guests are inappropriate.

Comments

[blue102.livejournal.com]

ha! Canning would be a great punishment. You could also interpret "canning" as the act of preparing food for storage, as in "You are not allowed to leave until all those peaches are sliced and sealed in Mason jars of juice."

Next time we visit, I'll let you make breakfast. :)

[zandperl.livejournal.com]

Just so long's you don't require that breakfast happen anytime before, say, noon.