Baby Shower Etiquette
Baby shower etiquette demands that you follow certain patterns of civility when you are hosting a baby shower.
Many of these are customary tradition and are the same rules that would be employed when you are hosting
a bridal shower.
A baby shower is not usually a surprise. Unlike a bridal shower, the mom to be knows that she is getting a baby shower and when it is going to be. It is nice if you can surprise her, but most moms to be today don’t even want to be surprised when it comes to knowing the sex of their baby. Surprise, it seems, is not really in vogue.
If you are the hostess of the baby shower, it is up to you to invite who you want to the shower. Whoever pays for the shower gets to pick the venue, the guest list as well as make the choices when it comes to food. Baby showers are usually given by mothers of the mother to be or the mother in law. Baby shower etiquette demands that the baby shower can be given by anyone with the exception of the mom to be or dad to be.
Despite the change of times, baby showers, just like bridal showers, are usually women only events. They involve the family and friends of the mother and father to be. In some cases, a baby shower may be thrown by the mother or mother in law of the mother to be. Unlike bridal showers, however, each person is only expected to attend the baby shower once and bring one gift. For this reason, many baby showers are combined and given by the soon to be grandmothers.
Unlike the etiquette for a bridal shower, a mother of the mother to be is perfectly entitled to throw a shower for her daughter. It used to be considered in poor form for the mother of the bride to throw her daughter a bridal shower, although more people are abandoning this etiquette as less brides are getting married from home. The reason for this is that you are asking for gifts.
Showers are ideally thrown by friends instead of family members, but baby shower etiquette is different. No longer looked upon as a way to get gifts, it is also seen as a chance for everyone to come together and celebrate the pending new arrival as well as give the new mom things she will need for the baby.
Baby shower etiquette dictates that you only give a shower to the mom to be for the first baby. After that, it is assumed that the couple will have enough hand me downs for the second child and will have all of the necessary items. Naturally, after the baby is born, gifts will be given to the second child.
An exception may be made if the mom to be is a mom to be after a long period of time or if she is in a second marriage. In this case, there may be a large gap between children and she may not have the baby products that she needs, having long since gotten rid of them.
Many couples register at baby stores for what they want, similar to a bridal shower. While some people see this custom, in itself as rude, it does eliminate the duplication of many items. You can still follow baby shower etiquette, however, and get the baby a home made gift from the heart.
A baby shower is not usually a surprise. Unlike a bridal shower, the mom to be knows that she is getting a baby shower and when it is going to be. It is nice if you can surprise her, but most moms to be today don’t even want to be surprised when it comes to knowing the sex of their baby. Surprise, it seems, is not really in vogue.
If you are the hostess of the baby shower, it is up to you to invite who you want to the shower. Whoever pays for the shower gets to pick the venue, the guest list as well as make the choices when it comes to food. Baby showers are usually given by mothers of the mother to be or the mother in law. Baby shower etiquette demands that the baby shower can be given by anyone with the exception of the mom to be or dad to be.
Despite the change of times, baby showers, just like bridal showers, are usually women only events. They involve the family and friends of the mother and father to be. In some cases, a baby shower may be thrown by the mother or mother in law of the mother to be. Unlike bridal showers, however, each person is only expected to attend the baby shower once and bring one gift. For this reason, many baby showers are combined and given by the soon to be grandmothers.
Unlike the etiquette for a bridal shower, a mother of the mother to be is perfectly entitled to throw a shower for her daughter. It used to be considered in poor form for the mother of the bride to throw her daughter a bridal shower, although more people are abandoning this etiquette as less brides are getting married from home. The reason for this is that you are asking for gifts.
Showers are ideally thrown by friends instead of family members, but baby shower etiquette is different. No longer looked upon as a way to get gifts, it is also seen as a chance for everyone to come together and celebrate the pending new arrival as well as give the new mom things she will need for the baby.
Baby shower etiquette dictates that you only give a shower to the mom to be for the first baby. After that, it is assumed that the couple will have enough hand me downs for the second child and will have all of the necessary items. Naturally, after the baby is born, gifts will be given to the second child.
An exception may be made if the mom to be is a mom to be after a long period of time or if she is in a second marriage. In this case, there may be a large gap between children and she may not have the baby products that she needs, having long since gotten rid of them.
Many couples register at baby stores for what they want, similar to a bridal shower. While some people see this custom, in itself as rude, it does eliminate the duplication of many items. You can still follow baby shower etiquette, however, and get the baby a home made gift from the heart.