It seems like the traditional baby shower is getting a bit of a bad rap, lately.
Even before I got pregnant, I saw a flurry of blog posts and discussions on Facebook and Twitter as to whether a shower should have been had by so-and-so celebrity.
Some “reasons” given as to why people shouldn’t have a baby shower:
I’ve always had an opinion about the judgment women only seem to reserve for baby showers, but having never had one myself, I wasn’t sure if it was a conversation I could intelligently weigh into.
Here’s my two cents: I think everyone deserves to have a shower, especially if friends or family throw the mom-to-be the celebration. It makes it hard for her to really say no when loved ones have put a lot of hard work into the event. A woman can ask for no gifts, but it doesn’t mean guests will abide by that.
If being showered with gifts still makes you feel a bit icky (and you don’t want to enact a no-gifts policy), here are a few creative ways to make your shower work best for you.
OK, I know, most of the gifts given at a shower are usually for after the baby comes. However, think beyond Babies R Us and little cute onesies.
For example, my husband and are are trying to plan ahead for when the baby comes. We’re not good at eating in as it is right now, and I know when the baby comes going out for dinner is likely not going to be something we can: a) afford all the time or b) be awake enough to do.
So I’m using my chest freezer to its advantage and plan to freeze a bunch of ready-to-cook meals that all we have to do is pop in the oven, the slow cooker, or throw on the stove. Of course, my recipe arsenal is only so big, so I would love if the guests at my shower each brought a meal we could add to our freezer for variety’s sake.
If you’re lucky enough to be someone who might be able to afford many of baby things other couples cannot, you might want to think about asking guests to bring two gifts: One for you and one for the local women’s centre or pregnancy centre near you. This may mean you won’t get really big ticket items, but you’ll be paying it forward and helping a mom-to-be who may not be as fortunate as you are.
Alternatively, you can ask guests to donate money or canned goods that you can then take to the local food bank. Helping others makes everyone feel good.
The crib. A stroller. The diaper genie. They’re all classic baby shower gifts, but they’re not that original, and they’re not really from the heart.
What you might want to do instead is ask your guests to bring a gift of something they treasured as a young child, or something that meant something to their child. This will mean getting gifts that have stories to them, and mean something to the giver. It’s also a great way to start a new tradition.
Do you have some creative ideas to make a baby shower one to remember?
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