We all love kids. Well, we all love our own kids. When they act adorable in front of our friends, we beam with pride.  But as much we love the shorties, an adults-only evening is sure nice, isn’t it? The trick is defining which evening with friends will be an opportunity to show off your next American Idol or a deliciously child-free night of fun.

Once again, New York Magazine’s Urban Etiquette Guide let’s us know just what to do.

When can you bring children to a dinner party?
If the people throwing the party have kids of their own and your child is young enough that he’s guaranteed to fall asleep within minutes of arrival, it’s acceptable. If there’s even a chance that the unfamiliar setting or the presence of peers will adrenalize your kid into becoming a homewrecker, it’s incumbent upon you to ask whether he can come along (“Will there be other kids around?”). If the hosts don’t have kids, assume you aren’t welcome to bring yours unless some sort of babysitting crisis occurs (and bear in mind that you will thereby be limiting your ability to use a contrived babysitting crisis as an excuse to ditch future events).

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