If my child acts up a playdate, do i punish him then and risk ruining the fun?

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In all the excitement of having a pal over, many a child has temporairly lost his mind and acted a fool.But punishing your kid way after the fact will most certainly be useless because, as you suspecthe probably wont remember his transgression, much less whey he's in hot water. Thats not to say that he should be allowed to go hog wild when company company's over.It just approaching the situation a little difference,with my child.I lay down the law before friends arrive, and while they're here too.I make it clear to them that the rules don't change just because they have guests, and they're to be on their best behavior-to set an example for their visitors and to stay out of trouble. Somewhere in the conversation, I remind them that they really want to get embarrased infront of their friends, but that i will discipline them if they get out of hand-no matter whos's listening and watching.And i let thet other kids know the ground rules, too:No running through the house, no tossing balls in the living room, etc. Even so, they have their moments.And at those times,I try to stop whatever's going on, scold when its called for,redirect when its not big deal, and let the kids do what they do: have fun.