You ever been to a baby shower? If you have, then surely, you’ve witnessed the intricacy of prepping for such a momentous event, from picking the appropriate baby shower decorations to finalizing the guest list to ensuring that everyone gets a decent meal throughout the occasion’s duration.
Welcoming a baby into the family is a life-changing experience. It entails mental, physical, and emotional preparation. As such, expecting parents go to lengths to share news of their little bundle of joy to the world.
Whether you are hosting a baby shower or are attending one, there are specific rules and etiquette that need observing. Here’s what you should and shouldn’t do on occasion meant to announce a new addition to the family:
1.Create and Finalize Your Guest List
Keeping your list of attendees concise and compact is a must now that the world is still facing a pandemic. Limit your guests to your immediate family or the ones you are already living under one roof with. But if you have quite an extended and close-knit family, it would be best to host a private Zoom party instead.
2.Use Kids-Friendly Materials
Avoid decorations and cutleries with sharp edges. Switch to plastic knives, spoons, and forks. Don’t throw confetti or glitter if there are babies and toddlers present among your guests. The small particles could get in their eyes or mouth and cause an allergic reaction.
3.Serve Food That Appeals to Both Younger and Older Guests
Grazing boxes and platters are an excellent catering option for adults and children attending a baby shower. You can have vegan or fruit-themed grazing platters or combine different cheeses and chocolates. In this manner, you satisfy different palates of preferences.
4.Keep the Mystery Alive for the Parents (Especially the Mom-to-be)
Stop yourself from revealing key details and surprises about the event to the expecting parents. Remember, the event is not just for the baby. It is also for the moms and dads-to-be. By keeping them on their toes during the baby shower, the excitement continuously increases, and it adds more fun and thrill to all the activities you’ve prepared.
5.Check Invitations for Specific Instructions From the Parents (for Attendees)
At times, the invitation might specify what attire to wear, what to bring to the event (if any), or what to and not to wear. Some parents do not want any small signs of giveaways involving the gender of their baby. Others have specific health conditions, while some baby showers are centred on a specific theme that all guests should follow.
6.Offer to Help Clean Up or Fix the Venue After the Gathering
Being a new parent is no easy feat. It will exhaust every single ounce of energy you have in your body. Volunteering the assist parents-to-be in cleaning up after the baby shower is done is a small selfless act that goes a long way. Set aside the kitchenware, wash the dishes, or tuck the baby shower decorations away neatly. After all, you wouldn’t want to exhaust them, particularly the pregnant mother.
Use these simple tips to be a thoughtful host and a delightful guest in events as intricate as a baby shower. Abiding by these unspoken rules guarantees a wholesome and truly memorable event for the would-be-parents. Bonus tip: Take as many pictures of the event as you can! It’s an event that happens once in a lifetime which marks a new milestone in every couple’s life, so make every shot and second count.