Past Tense

Why do we observe proper etiquette at baby showers? Being knowledgeable about etiquette helps you, as the hostess, ensure that the mom-to-be and your guests have a great time. Yes, many of the formal rules of etiquette we’ve observed in the past have been relaxed to reflect our current social mores, but many of them have also survived. And for good reason: etiquette takes the guesswork out of any social event by setting appropriate expectations. The result? Everyone can relax and have fun!

Invitations - Setting the Tone of the Shower

Baby shower invitations should reach the guests two to three weeks in advance to allow them enough time to 1) arrange their schedules, 2) hire baby sitters, and 3) shop for gifts.

Hosting - Who gets the Honor?

It’s been tradition that the honor of hosting the baby shower belonged only to friends of the pregnant mom. If a family member hosted the event, it gave the appearance of an event designed to solicit gifts for the expectant woman. Now, however, that rule has been bent to the point of breaking. Anyone can throw a baby shower to honor the mom-to-be… including the woman herself!

Since hosting a baby shower entails a lot of both time and money, no one should be put on the spot and asked to host a shower. Volunteer hosts are much more likely to be willing and able to perform this duty.

Time - How Close to the Baby’s Arrival?

When’s the ideal time to hold the shower? It’s usually before the birth of the baby, in the late stages of the pregnancy. It’s usually at this time that pregnant women start feeling stressed out with worries about the delivery or their physical discomfort. So having a baby shower at this time can create just the diversion she needs to keep her spirits bright.

The sight of loved ones gathered to celebrate her pregnancy helps remind the mom-to-be of the importance of her pregnancy. Now, traditionally, showers were only held for the first child, but now, that’s out the window! Showers are now acceptable for subsequent children, including those who are adopted.

Guest List

While it may be tempting to do all the planning for the expectant mother, having her input on the guest list is critical. There may be many guests she’d like to include on the guest list whom the host doesn’t know. And though traditionally, baby showers were only for women, the mother nowadays can choose to have both men and women at her gathering. In fact, a greater number of baby showers are being held for both the mom and dad today.

Behavior

Because the reason for the shower is to celebrate the arriving baby, congratulations to the soon-to-be mom and dad are expected of every guest. And like with any part, the shower guests should also give thanks to the host for his/her work in holding and organizing the event.