Arguably one of the best perks of having a NEW BABY is the special event known as the baby shower. I mean who doesn’t love free stuff? Also, babies are expensive – especially your first one since you literally have nothing for them.
Let’s not forget how much fun it can be to walk around Target or any other store with a scan gun and add just about anything a new mom could need or want to her baby registry.
It’s great to add things to your registry that you know you possibly won’t even get, but there comes a point where being silly with what you want or ask from your baby shower guests to bordering on ridiculous.
For example, I was recently invited to a baby shower of an extended family member. This is a person I’ve only met a few times, and is related to me through marriage not blood.
On the invitation, there were several “rules” or “guidelines” as to what this new mom wanted from her guests. Not limited to not buying gifts or gift cards from a certain store because she refuses to shop there, no gifts of diapers, and a few other items she’d rather not be purchased for her new baby because she didn’t want to use that particular brand.
Not going to lie, I was pretty taken aback by the requests.
While I totally think it is important to let baby shower guests know what you need and want for your new baby, I can’t help but notice a trend that seems to be on the rise in regards to almost borderline obnoxious requests from people sending out invites to an event that can be boiled down to as a form of charity.
I can’t help but think that this sense of entitlement and queen-like behavior is a bit much and a total turn off for potential guests.
Sure, there are just certain things we all need for our babies.
If you already have a crib that your sister handed down to you from her kids, then you obviously don’t need a crib. Totally understandable! That’s what baby shower registries were invented for right? To give your guests an idea of what you may or may not need. So, why the need to dictate right on the shower invite what not to buy?
Another trend I’ve seen happen firsthand, is the need for over the top themed baby showers that require more work from guests than just showing up with a present in hand. Whether they are themed after a cartoon character, a place or the mom’s favorite food, these have gotten a bit out of hand too.
Baby showers don’t need to have an elaborate theme
I actually attended one for another family member that asked guests to dress up in semi-formal attire and wear Kentucky Derby style hats to fit the tea party theme. While it was adorable and I think a lot of this particular family member, what a pain in the ass!
Like, really. Whatever happened to blue, green or pink themed showers and being okay with guests wearing their yoga pants to it?
New moms and even moms that are adding to their family deserve baby showers, but whatever happened to staying humble and kind?
Being grateful for the fact that you have someone that loves you and your LITTLE BUN IN THE OVEN enough to throw you a shower and folks that want to come and celebrate their impending arrival with fun games, good food and gifts they bought just for him or her is what they are supposed to be about.
Baby showers aren’t for micromanaging your guests
Not micromanaging your guests, insulting their tastes in gifts or ALIENATING PEOPLE that genuinely want to give you a leg up into parenthood.
So thank your great-aunt Mabel for the ruffled lime green outfit she bought for your daughter, and your friend from college for the package of diapers you probably won’t use on the new baby because his older brother had a bad reaction to them.
Because, there’s always gift returns/exchanges and online garage sale sites for you to replace them with things you will actually use!