New Year's Eve with baby & toddler?

[2010]

I don't want to be a party pooper but my gut feelings suggest to stay at home and do nothing. Keep the kids' normal bedtime, and most likely keep my bedtime too.

Have you done it - i.e. gone out? 
Did you regret it?

Alternatively, at what age (of the kids) did you start celebrating New Year's? Thanks.

[Old Mike]

Celebrate it with friends at someone's home.
Our best New Year happened when our daughter was 2. She woke up around midnight and joined us in the pool.
We all went home about 7 AM.
MAGIC

[own bed]

It can work but only really if you do something with like-minded friends who may also have children of their own. 

What you could do is organise something at your own house for a few friends and that way you get to do a bit of celebrating but the kids aren't unsettled by the fact that they're in a strange house - if you're lucky they might sleep fairly soundly through it all.

Our kids are old enough to stay up until midnight these days but we don't even bother doing anything special most of the time.  Last year we went for a walk and a drink about 8pm, came home by about 11pm and just watched the celebrations on TV and the ships setting off their flares out at sea - it was all very quiet but we enjoyed it.

[idon'tgetit]

If your children are too young to celebrate - or even understand what New Year's is - and you want to go out, why can't you put them to bed at the normal time and get a babysitter or your maid to babysit while you go out for the evening? I guess I'm not sure why New Year's Eve is any different from any other night you would get a babysitter and go out. It's not like you have to be out until breakfast time or anything.