Tips For Hosting A Baby Shower: Make the Mom to Be a Planning Partner
You may have attended more baby showers than you can count or been on the receiving end of this lovely tradition. Or perhaps you’re just entering the baby shower years when all your friends and their sisters seem to be expecting. If you’re the designated organizer, here are some useful tips for hosting a baby shower.
The baby shower is as much about the expectant mom (and dad!) as it is about the little bundle of joy who’ll be joining them soon. Work closely with the mother-to-be to pick a convenient date and time. The final week of the second trimester or the first few weeks of the final trimester are good choices. The mother will still be reasonably comfortable while also visibly, proudly pregnant. Develop a guest list together so you don’t accidentally exclude a favorite aunt or sorority sister.
Choose a Simple Theme
Select two or three gender-neutral colors that are known favorites of the mom. Even if you know the baby’s sex, it isn’t necessary to smother your guests in bubble-gum pink or sky blue. Select a theme that resonates with the Mom–perhaps she has already decorated the nursery, or she has a favorite children’s book she can’t wait to read to the baby. Run your theme idea by her, and adjust if she has other ideas.
Decide How to Manage Gifts
Ask the mom to register for shower gifts several weeks in advance, before you send out invitations. It’s the only way guests will know that she has her heart set on an organic muslin baby blanket or a particular brand of baby care products. Guests will appreciate direction regarding gifts.
Showers with large guest lists can stretch on for hours of gift-opening. The expectant Mom has a limit to her endurance at this point (and so does her bladder) so plan ahead how you’ll handle gifts. Instead of Mom opening and passing gifts around, guests can put unwrapped gifts bearing just a tag on a display table. That way, everyone has a chance to admire them while also having a conversation.
If Mom wants to open her gifts at the shower, designate someone to keep track of which gift came from whom, to prepare a helpful list for the Mom for thank-you notes. Have boxes or bins ready to contain wrapping paper and save bows and ribbons.
Avoid Awkward Silences With Fun Games
Build a guessing game around baby names, or make up captions for cute baby photos. Choose activities that guests can participate in on all through the party, such as writing down the funniest thing that happened to them when expecting, or their best memory of the mom as their friend.
The best tip for hosting a baby shower is not to stress out. The host should be able to relax and enjoy the event, too, so enlist help with cleaning up as you go.
