pano perspective

24 out of 24 Panorama staff members agree

It’s the morning after the party you hosted, and you are exhausted. But the house is still a mess. Crumbs are scattered everywhere, blankets thrown all over the house and dirt is splattered on the floors. Your tiredness doesn’t dissipate after you clean up, instead, it increases by tenfold. Now, you’re grumpy, and even worse, your body aches with fatigue.

The Pew Research Center reports that around 77% teens spend at least one day per week with their friends in person. We love to hang out with our friends at movie theaters, coffee shops or, most often, each other’s houses. But, when we go to each other's houses, we often see that guests don’t know the proper way to act, lacking etiquette and courtesy. Our homes are a safe haven and a place of comfort that we spend with our families. When someone is allowed into that space, they assume the role of a guest. Thus, being a guest comes with certain responsibilities that should be taken into consideration.

For both the guest and the host, a primary objective of the gathering is to feel comfortable, while having fun. A guest should firstly remember that a step into another person's house or apartment is a step into their private home space. This concept of manners and etiquettes is to promote feelings of understanding. Just as every person is unique, every home is as well. Therefore, every household will have a different environment, and after entering a home, the underlying rule for a guest is to respect the space and boundaries. When the guest understands the house rules, this maintains the space as the host wants it. Secondly, the guest’s mentality should follow the common saying of “leave it better than you found it.” To tidy up one’s mess is to reduce the host’s cleaning workload. Finally, the guest should give thanks in forms of a gift or simple gestures to show that they are grateful to be invited over.

To not respect someone’s space is to illustrate to the host that the guest is ungrateful for the time and effort they spend preparing. As a host, their role is to facilitate and prepare the visitor’s stay. The host spends time making food for the guest, tidying up the house to be presentable and welcoming the guest with open arms. This effort should not be overlooked. Etiquette matters, and it might be the deciding factor for if the individual will be welcomed over again.

Next time, the morning after, the house can be clean.