I'm only 15 weeks into my pregnancy but all my close friends and family are talking baby shower already. I've expressed that I don't want any young children at the baby shower but no one is listening to me. It's a little frustrating to me. How do you feel about children at baby showers?[Poll]
Baby M&M's Mommy

Re: Children at baby showers...
I, personally, have never understood this. If you?re having a baby, you better get used to having young children around. And I am always a little offended when I get invited to things that exclude my son. I mean, obviously a bachelorette party or something is no place for children, but he is part of my family and I don?t like telling him he is not allowed to come with me to things like that. Just my opinion.
I find them to be distracting. Babies and older kids are fine but young kids running around bored... meh. Who wants to deal with that at a party with mostly adults? I went to one recently with kids and it was very distracting.
The only children invited to my shower for DS were my nieces. Showers are for women and my nieces are older 5, 9, and 11. No other kids.
Kids are distracting for the most part and I would think other moms would like a nice lunch out without having to tend to their kids.
it's your day so ultimately, you wishes are what should be honored, but seriously....what's the big deal with having kids there??
afterall, you're pregnant now, too, and some day you may be that mom that has to bring the kiddos to the shower with you. i have an 8mn old & am pregnant with #2 so maybe i see things in a different light. i would have a very hard time finding a babysitter, and not to mention paying for a gift for someone but also having to pay for a babysitter. BUT i also know when it's time to call if quits for my son, he's extremely well behaved & when he's got attention & new things to look at he's very good. but when he starts to act up or get fussy i know it's time to stop or leave where we are, so if you're concerned about your crowd not knowing when it's time to bow out i can see your point. i just think it's a little odd to have a baby shower & not allow kids there.
Are you serious? This actually sounds so ridiculous that you might be being satirical.
I don't like it when kids run amok or swarm the mom-to-be either, that's why when it was my shower I asked them nicely to back up, if they didn't I asked their moms to have them give me some space. When it was my turn to host and they were running around at my house, when they didn't listen I asked their moms to intervene. The problem is not the kids, it's moms who want to sit back and chitchat rather than watching their children - and if that's the case, I have no qualms about putting the problem back on them (nicely, of course).
Anyway, family event = kids are welcome, IMO. Especially a baby shower where the whole point is to celebrate a new one.
DS1 born June 2008 | m/c at 9w March 2011 | DS2 born April 2012
Married: 1/2008 ~ DD#1: 3/2012
TTC #2: Started 4/2014 BFP 7/30/15 MC 8/3/15 BFP 9/4/2015 EDD 5/16/2016
Seems inappropriate to me - it's for adults/women, not a 'family' event.
The focus should be on the baby-to-be, not older ones running around bored. You'd think the guests would welcome time to celebrate with their adult friends only.
Question, are men invited to baby showers you go to? Usually, the kids are left at home with their father or another relative or friend, not associated with the person having the shower. So don't assume you would need to pay a babysitter.
I had 2 children at mine. A 1 and 2 yr old. It was not a problem. At my sisters she had tons of kids in all ages, again it wasn't a problem. You are celebrating a new baby I can't imagine saying no kids. You will be that parent soon that needs to bring there child with them.
As far as having your husband watch them, sometimes that isn't an option. My H travels and works weekends sometimes. He has worked 3 wks straight right now and I wouldn't want to have to pay a babysitter.
Personally for my shower, I don't really want kids running around. That might be only because I have no other children, this LO will be our first. I would want to be able to visit with people easily, not between their kids destracting them and everyone else. I know that eventually I will be a mom, and my kid will be my life. But I would totally respect the wishes of the mom-to-be and find a sitter if they didn't want kids present.
overall it's a personal choice for everyone. If you don't mind great if you do thats great too.
I feel the same way. I thought that it was a time for the ladies to be together! A time when moms/ wives could have some time off, and chitchat.
I have never been to a baby shower that had children, ever, unless it was a niece of the guest of honor or something similar. To me a shower is ladies dressing up and having a lunch. Even coed showers that I have been to have been clearly adults only.
Hmm. I guess it depends on what goes in your crowd/culture. But if your friends always through showers that have children, I think it is going to be harder to make the case for them not to be there. You could say you would not prefer it, but ultimately it is up to the hosts to decide what your shower will be like.
I've been thinking about this more and I actually find it odd that you would have to request "no children" for a baby shower. Maybe it is because of where I live but like I said, children are never at baby showers that I have been to. They always stay home with dad. So I actually would never think to say no kids on the invitation or whatnot because that just doesn't happen around here.
The only children I have ever seen at a shower have been over 6 and related to the mom-to-be.
Married: 1/2008 ~ DD#1: 3/2012
TTC #2: Started 4/2014 BFP 7/30/15 MC 8/3/15 BFP 9/4/2015 EDD 5/16/2016
See, I think it is really weird to have kids at a baby shower. To me, it is a mom/women thing. There are some things kids just don't go to.
Again, it might be a New England thing. A native NH friend and I were planning a bridal shower and bachelorette party for a native PA friend. We went off traditional of what we have always known. Come to find out, bride was annoyed it wasn't the way she knew it. Different areas, different traditions and ways of doing things.
Married: 1/2008 ~ DD#1: 3/2012
TTC #2: Started 4/2014 BFP 7/30/15 MC 8/3/15 BFP 9/4/2015 EDD 5/16/2016
Maybe it is a New England thing. The only showers I've been to with kids there (as in under 12) was my cousins shower and the one child there was her 7-year-old niece. As far as I've experienced baby/bridal showers are for women and kids over 12, unless it's the bride/mom-to-be's nieces.
It doesn't bother me at all. I had kids at my wedding and kids at my baby shower. DS has always been a very lowkey child, even as an infant, so any time I've brought him to events he's been very chill. He'll play quietly and does not "run amok." I never just bring him without getting the OK from the guest of honor but more often than not they'll say "I hope you're bringing Chase!" without me even mentioning it. If he was a little holy terror then I might think differently but we've never had an issue.
It's just my opinion. I know the baby shower is all about me but the world itself doesn't actually revolve around me and having kids around for a couple hours while I open presents and eat cake just isn't a big deal to me. But if it's the guest-of-honor's desire to have no children there I certainly would respect that and not bring mine.