- my iParenting
- quick clicks
- pregnancy today articles
- pregnancy today q&a
- message boards
- research baby names
- prepare a birth plan
- content channels
- ip channel rss feeds
- read birth stories
- read parenting stories
- recommended books
- e-newsletters
- safety recalls
- ip diaries
- ip store
- mom of the month
- dad of the month
- editor's letter
- letters to the editor
 |
- e-newsletters
- Sign up to receive our free weekly e-newsletters
- award-winning products
The iParenting Media Awards program helps parents find the best products for their families.
Planning a Baby Shower
Etiquette for Giving and Getting a Baby Shower
By Donna Smith
Pink, yellow and blue decorations. Fruity punch and finger foods. Wrapping toilet paper around a glowing woman to see how many squares it takes. These are just a few of the fun things about a baby shower. If you're considering throwing a shower or are pregnant and hoping for one, what is etiquette? How many showers can you have? Who is supposed to host it? Can you ask someone to throw you a shower? Let's see what the experts have to say.
Who is supposed to throw this special event for the mom-to-be? Does it even matter? "These days, anyone affiliated with the mom-to-be can give the shower," says Oliver Mims, host of the digital TV show about etiquette and manners, ProperOllie.tv. "Traditionally, close female friends and family (sister, best friends) host."
Nowadays, it is increasingly common to have more than one person give the shower. "It is a great way to share the burden of cost and delegate tasks," Mims says. He does suggest that if you decide to throw the shower with others, be sure to discuss a budget and responsibilities before you begin planning so that everyone is on the same page.
Emily Miles Terry, coauthor of Nesting: It's a Chick Thing (Workman, 2004) and columnist for Disney's family.com, says there are no real rules on who should host the baby shower, "though typically family and/or your closest friends get the ball rolling," she says.
Colleen A. Rickenbacher, a business etiquette expert and author of Be on Your Best Business Behavior (Brown, 2004), does not agree. "Mothers and sisters should not give the shower because it gives the impression that they are asking for gifts for their daughter or sister," she says. "They can always help with the shower but should not initiate or send out the invitations."
Want to see more?
Comments
Found 1 comment
Displaying all 1 comments below
|
Post As:
|
||
| Enter your comment below: | ||
| Title | ||
| Comment Text | ||
| CAPTCHA | ||
| Please note that any comments submitted become the property of Disney Family / iParenting and can be edited and posted at our discrection. | ||
Re: Planning a Baby Shower by april on 11/26/2008 10:15PM
My mom gave me my shower, and I don't see anything wrong with it. None of my friends are the entertaining type, and most of my family lives too far.