The holidays are approaching, but apparently some people would rather meet you at a restaurant than invite you inside their house.
New research is highlighting what experts are calling the “hosting paradox.”
A recent survey of 1,000 American women found that 55% said their home feels too small or not presentable enough to host guests.
But here is the interesting part.
When those same women were asked what matters when they are guests in somebody else’s home, 80% said feeling welcomed is more important than being inside a beautiful house.
In other words, we may be judging our own homes much harder than our guests are.
Clutter, cleaning, cost and the energy required to prepare for company can all make hosting feel like a major production.
Social media probably does not help either. We constantly see perfectly decorated kitchens, spotless living rooms and professionally styled holiday tables that can make a normal, lived-in home feel like it is not good enough.
But another finding from the survey might help take some of that pressure away.
More than half of respondents said a relaxed, low-pressure atmosphere matters most when they attend someone else’s gathering, while a highly curated experience ranked near the bottom.
Other research also suggests Americans are entertaining at home less frequently than they did decades ago.
Maybe we need to bring back the days when people could come over without the house looking like an HGTV reveal.