Co-ed Baby Showers

LuckyDad

Yay, nay, or meh?

Inspired by shower discussion on the Parenting board. Did everyone here attend their baby shower? Was it co-ed, or were you the only man in attendance? Ours was basically just a BBQ with food and booze and the only games were voluntary for participation (and not very popular). Sitting in a big circle opening gifts was weird, especially as interest for the first 5-10 minutes very quickly waned. We Occasionally had to shout "Hey Tammy-Lynn and Stevie, we're opening your gift!" as people started wandering off. Still, it actually was a fun party.

rachaelbritt

i've been to one already and going to another this weekend. presents and cake! what's not to like?

StayHomeDad

We are having 2 because we are moving and have friends/family in both locations.  Both will be co-ed.  We don't believe too much in classic (baseless) gender roles.  I think one will be more gamey shower style and the other will be a BBQ.  We really lucked out on that, huh.

travelman40

We have had a number of showers. Two coed and the rest for my wife. The coed ones were a family BBQ style and the other one the guys hung out watching golf.  You can tell who wanted to be there. Some of the guys played the games though.

ladyjenna13

My wife has had a shower at work and a shower from her friends.  My dad's side is throwing her her 3rd this weekend, and my mom's side the next weekend.

That is a total of FOUR SHOWERS!  Yikes!!

I have not, nor will I attend any of them.

I have only been out golfing a handful of times this summer, and on those day I plan on being on the links, cocktail in one hand, club in the other.  The closest I ever get to these events is when I go to load up the jeep with all the gifts for the boy.  Normally, 20 pairs of eyes lock in on me because I am the only guy in the room.  Seriously, they all look at me like I am their husband, so it get pretty uncomfortable.  Especially since YOU KNOW that you were the topic of conversation at one point.

I prefer to go golf.  Since I know that my freedom to do that will be altered drastically for the next ten years, I need to jump on any golf chance I get in the next two months!  My handicap has taken a beating this summer, so I need to tighten that up.

Showers are very gender-driven, unless they are planned to be co-ed, I want no part of them.

Someone mentioned that the gift opening part is the worst part.  My wife agrees with that statement, to the point that she has never liked showers in the first place.  Now that she is going to have four, she feels very uncomfortable about that.

StayHomeDad

travelman40:

We have had a number of showers. Two coed and the rest for my wife. The coed ones were a family BBQ style and the other one the guys hung out watching golf.  You can tell who wanted to be there. Some of the guys played the games though.

I really can't imagine watching golf being more entertaining than a baby shower.  But that is just me. 

ladyjenna13

StayHomeDad:

travelman40:

We have had a number of showers. Two coed and the rest for my wife. The coed ones were a family BBQ style and the other one the guys hung out watching golf.  You can tell who wanted to be there. Some of the guys played the games though.

I really can't imagine watching golf being more entertaining than a baby shower.  But that is just me. 

The only way I can nap on the weekends is if I have a tourney on the TV.  Golf is one of those sports that only translates good on TV if it is a major and there is 3 strokes or less between the leader and the rest of the field.  This years US Open was a blast to watch because it had drama to it.  But I agree, it is not for everyone.

onlymeggan

Hi, jumping in on my wife's account.

 

As far as the baby shower for our son went, I skipped all the lead in stuff and showed up for the gifts.  I wanted to see what we were getting for him, and my presence there meant that I got to load the car up, so my wife didn't have to do much lifting of anything.  Attention span at the shower was apparently better than yours, as we didn't need to pull our guests attention away from anything. 

 

Edit:  For the record, we are not naming our child Yoda... she just says the force is strong with this one (she's having more morning sickness this go round) 

LuckyDad

onlymeggan:

Edit:  For the record, we are not naming our child Yoda... she just says the force is strong with this one (she's having more morning sickness this go round) 

So, Yoda is the middle name then?

DavidStamps

My wife's showers are both coming up in a few weeks. She has a friends/family shower being thrown by her Mom and some close friends and a work shower. She told me it was mandatory that I attend the work shower...as all dads show up to their wives shower and everyone "oohs" and "ahhs" over them. (My wife is a teacher, so it's mostly ladies all day...I'm sure a strange man showing up is pretty fascinating...)

For her personal shower I'm hanging out with a few buddies whose wifes are also attending and 45 minutes before it ends we are crashing to finishing off the food and I'm going to help my wife open gifts. She has a lengthy list of guests and doesn't want to bore people with a long gift opening so we will divide and conquer and get folks home to enjoy the rest of their Saturday night.

Cross your fingers I make it through both of them... 

StayHomeDad

DavidStamps:

She told me it was mandatory that I attend the work shower...as all dads show up to their wives shower and everyone "oohs" and "ahhs" over them. (My wife is a teacher, so it's mostly ladies all day...I'm sure a strange man showing up is pretty fascinating...)

It will be just like posting on the bump!  You already have you practice in.

I have a question about this shower business.  Is it the rule that you open all the gifts at the shower?  Or can it be more like wedding gifts that you open later?

Luckily for us since we are moving after the first one a lot of gifts will be sent to my mother in laws, close to where we will move to.

ladyjenna13

StayHomeDad:

DavidStamps:

She told me it was mandatory that I attend the work shower...as all dads show up to their wives shower and everyone "oohs" and "ahhs" over them. (My wife is a teacher, so it's mostly ladies all day...I'm sure a strange man showing up is pretty fascinating...)

It will be just like posting on the bump!  You already have you practice in.

I have a question about this shower business.  Is it the rule that you open all the gifts at the shower?  Or can it be more like wedding gifts that you open later?

Luckily for us since we are moving after the first one a lot of gifts will be sent to my mother in laws, close to where we will move to.

No way around it....gifts are opened during the shower.

Duffman78

We had a co-ed shower and it was good fun. Couple of my buddies came and then there where the women but we all mingled and celebrated the upcoming of our LO.

I think it depends on the crowd.

 

ladyjenna13

Duffman78:

We had a co-ed shower and it was good fun. Couple of my buddies came and then there where the women but we all mingled and celebrated the upcoming of our LO.

I think it depends on the crowd.

 

Totally!!!

I come from a huge Irish Catholic family.  Any man who would dare wander into such an event is on his own.  Our women are BRUTAL!!!!

Konigfrustuck

The wife and I discussed it. Initially we wanted to do a coed shower, but it became evident that the ladies were going to want to play games and chat uninhibitted. So we agreed to have a baby shower and and parrallel "bro-by" shower. My dad, my uncle and a bunch of my buddies met up at this great pub in Portland and drank brandy and smoked cigars. It was great! Plus my wife and all the women in our clan had a great time without us. I think it just depends on the couple, but this set up worked for us and gave us opportunities to bond with our families and friends the way we needed to at this transitional time in our lives.

papajake

I didn't go to my wife's shower, I stayed with my friends and watched football.

dande2129

onlymeggan:

Hi, jumping in on my wife's account.

 

As far as the baby shower for our son went, I skipped all the lead in stuff and showed up for the gifts.  I wanted to see what we were getting for him, and my presence there meant that I got to load the car up, so my wife didn't have to do much lifting of anything.  Attention span at the shower was apparently better than yours, as we didn't need to pull our guests attention away from anything. 

 

Edit:  For the record, we are not naming our child Yoda... she just says the force is strong with this one (she's having more morning sickness this go round) 

I love your wife.

That is all.