Post # 1
Member
4767 posts
Honey bee
Was invited to my first baby shower. It is a female only event, and I know traditionally they are, but honestly I don’t get why these days they are. In the past when the father was working and the mom did the baby raising it made sense, but most fatehrs nowadays also raist the child and he will most likely also be using the gifts. So I was wondering if co-ed baby showers are becoming normal?
My other question is does my hubby sign the card? I feel bad excluding him from it.
Post # 3
Member
47209 posts
Honey Beekeeper
@Atalanta: I think it’s more than just who does the child raising that is involved.
IMO it is the rare man who wants to sit and open baby gifts, ooing and awing, and passing them around- or attend such an event as a guest.
Post # 4
Member
7199 posts
Busy Beekeeper
@Atalanta: My family only does co-ed parties now, but I still really like women only showers.
Post # 5
Member
4767 posts
Honey bee
@julies1949: Do women actually enjoy that stuff though? I don’t… What’s fun is just getting together with people and celebrating. If they aren’t the only guy in the room, it’s be fun for them too.
Post # 6
Member
47209 posts
Honey Beekeeper
@Atalanta: The whole point of a shower, is to shower the honoree with gifts. The gift opening is what the shower is all about.
Yes I enjoy the socializing, but I know my SO would not want to be part of the gift opening rituals.
Post # 7
Member
4767 posts
Honey bee
@julies1949: I know what the shower is about. I was wondering if women actually enjoy that part. Just becasue it is what happens dosn’t mean that the guests like that part.
If I was to have a baby shower I’d prob have a co-ed one and open the gifts privetly with my hubby later. My hubby would def be into opening gifts.
Especially with registries opening gifts infront of guests seem so redundent. You already know what’s in them you’ve seen the registries.
What about really big showers? I imagine this one will have a lot of guests since she has a big fam. I can’t imagine the bordom of sitting there looking at her open 50 packages filled with dipers and the likes.
So yeah I’d totally re-vamp the shower.
Post # 8
Member
6887 posts
Busy Beekeeper
I didn’t mind opening the gifts, in fact it is rather expected if there is a shower with gifts, that is the point of the shower to “shower” the person of honor with gifts. I personally hate the games. I know when my Maid/Matron of Honor hosted my baby shower for me, we had no games. It was just time to get together chat, and open the gifts. And oh and ahh at the pictures, My son came early so my shower was after he was born
Post # 9
Member
3112 posts
Sugar bee
@Atalanta: it’s a ritual. Maybe some have a jack & Jill shower, but this is simply the tradition. Perhaps when you have a baby you can request that your shower be co-ed. Sign his name or don’t- it really doesn’t matter.
Also, I’m cracking up at your spelling of diapers. Just can’t get that diA- thing down 🙂
Post # 10
Member
4767 posts
Honey bee
@mamadingdong: always glad to amuse
Post # 11
Member
283 posts
Helper bee
The co-ed baby showers I’ve been to have been hosted At my job or for co-workers. The other was a baby shower after the baby was born, due to it being an adoption they didn’t want to hold it before they actually got the baby.
I sign the card from The Spottts if we both know the woman otherwise I just sign my name.
Post # 12
Member
2775 posts
Sugar bee
I’ve never been to a coed baby shower. They are women-only in my circle, and they are all pretty much the same: eat finger foods, play silly games, and watch the honoree open her gifts. Nothing any man would enjoy.
Do I enjoy it? Yes, if it’s a smaller group (watching the mom open tons and tons of gifts gets tedious, though it’s fun to sqee over cute baby things for a short while). I even like the games as long as they aren’t gross (melted chocolate smeared in diapers…) or awkward (guess the mom’s belly circumference…). My husband would not enjoy any of this.
I’ve read on the bee about coed showers that are more like regular BBQs with heartier food, booze, maybe swimming or lawn games, etc. where the baby stuff is kind of ancillary, but never known anyone to do that IRL.
My husband doesn’t usually sign the card unless it’s someone he knows.
Post # 13
Member
9053 posts
Buzzing Beekeeper
I’ve been to one kind of. My coworkers tend to have BBQ’s hosted around at people’s houses a few times a summer. If there’s an event relatively close, we usually celebrate it, just coincidentally. So, one landed right before one of our coworker’s wives was having a baby, so we turned it into a diaper shower for them.
Post # 14
Member
427 posts
Helper bee
The only baby showers I have been to have been co-ed. My family usually has awesome food at functions, so the guys usually don’t mind going 🙂
Post # 15
Member
2692 posts
Sugar bee
It depends. I’ve been to mainly co-ed showers though. My first 2 showers were both co-ed and the shower for our first child, dh even sat next to me and helped open gifts. My 3rd shower was much smaller and only females with dh and his cousin hanging in the house. Men actually enjoy going to baby showers here. Dh was invited to one a few weeks ago and was going to go but since it was last minute (he got invited the same day), he didn’t have a gift and didn’t want to go empty handed.
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