babies at baby showers

twoitalians · January 2013

Is it normal to bring babies to a baby shower? I'm going to my friend's shower this weekend. There isn't really anywhere on the invitation that says anything about bringing babies or children and I'm emailing the hostess to make sure it's ok if I bring DS. Aside from waiting to hear back from her, what are your thoughts on this? Is it ok? All the other baby showers I've been to have been adults only aside from the two children that came with one of my friends to my own baby shower. I'm thinking it will be ok this time as my friend comes from a large family. I guess I'm just asking cuz I'm sorta one of the firsts of my circle of friends to have a baby so everything we've done up to this point has been child-free.

Rhomonk · January 2013

I attended a friend's baby shower a few weeks ago and took LO, but the invite was actually addressed to me and LO. Smile I also had a baby shower in November, but I didn't bring LO since I wasn't told babies were invited. Glad I didn't, b/c all of my friends left their babies at home.

Anyway, I would not assume I could bring my LO to a shower, especially if it's held in a restaurant.

LoveOfMikesLife · January 2013

I think it would be silly to say no kids at a baby shower. They are always welcome here. I threw a shower last month and brought DS

mamahawk12 · January 2013

I wouldn't, because I wouldn't want anything to distract people from the guest of honor and HER baby to be. And as scout said, I feel like asking puts people on the spot. Unless you were told children are welcome, they're probably not.

mollyxcate · January 2013

My friend brought her 5 month old to my baby shower. It seems like an appropriate place for kids. Except I tried to hold her and my bump got in the way and Chloe kicked her and I panicked.

Don't tell the pregnant people to hold the baby unless they seem confident/are not too pregnant!

twoitalians · January 2013

meaknigh:
I wouldn't, because I wouldn't want anything to distract people from the guest of honor and HER baby to be. And as scout said, I feel like asking puts people on the spot. Unless you were told children are welcome, they're probably not.

Right. I don't want to distract from her. There were kids at her wedding shower, but I don't want to assume. The host probably used the same guest list from her wedding and I didn't have DS then so I'm not even sure she would have known to include LO on the invite if she did that for other people.

MeatballEsq · January 2013

I'm taking my LO to a baby shower on Saturday. If he was 5 yo, I would question if it was appropriate, but he's 5.5m and not mobile. And super chill. I'm not to worried about etiquette with this shower though. I never even received an invite since she sent it to the wrong address.

bigbootyjudi · January 2013

I would. I mean, he's five months old...what does she expect you to do? If I'm not working, I have Sergio with me, and I'm not going to try to find someone to watch him so that I can go to a two hour baby shower, honestly. At all of the showers I have been to, there have always been a few kids.

If she says you can't bring him, that's ridiculous IMO, and I'd tell her that you were unable to come. I mean, she may not have any kids, but she will soon, so she better get used to babies being everywhere!

Mrs. Rohde · January 2013

meaknigh:
I wouldn't, because I wouldn't want anything to distract people from the guest of honor and HER baby to be. And as scout said, I feel like asking puts people on the spot. Unless you were told children are welcome, they're probably not.

I agree with you both. I went to a baby shower 2 weeks ago by myself. It was so nice having adult time with friends and not worrying about how DS was missing his nap or fussing and taking the focus off the MTB.

ccam · January 2013

Scout2005:
How was the invite worded? Technically speaking, if it was only addressed to you, you are the only one who should attend. Asking can be awkward. It puts hosts in a difficult place of saying no, and offending, or saying yes when they don't want to.That being said, if the hostess is a close friend, I would think you could ask.I am fine with adult only showers, and children welcome showers. Whatever the hosts want. I can see the positives of both. I've been to really fun showers that children were not invited to, and it doesn't strike me at all as odd if that is what the hostess decided on. It's a shower for the MTB, just because it's about babies doesn't automatically signal other children welcome. At least IMO.But to answer your question, if DD or DS were not specifically mentioned on an invitation, I assume they are not invited and find childcare/decline if I can't.

I agree. I would not just assume that children are invited.

sdlaura · January 2013

meaknigh:
I wouldn't, because I wouldn't want anything to distract people from the guest of honor and HER baby to be. And as scout said, I feel like asking puts people on the spot. Unless you were told children are welcome, they're probably not.

I feel the same way. I asked this question on here when my friends were planning my shower and was surprised that most people were solidly in one camp or the other. I think it also depends on the type of shower and venue. Is at someone's house with lots of family or at a nice restaurant with lots of friends? If you are friends with the host you could ask. But I like to have the focus be on the mom to be rather than other new babies.

lnk75 · February 2013

I would say it depends on the situation. I had this issue at my shower. I have a gigantic Italian family and we had about 80 people at my shower, so my mom asked that people didn't bring children only because my cousins alone would have over 20 kids. That being said, my mom told people that they could bring children if they didn't have any other alternatives. There were several kids there and I didn't find it distracting at all.

nicnac817 · February 2013

I think emailing the hostess before showing up with LO was the right thing to do. We had babies at our baby shower, but that's not everyone's cup of tea. Seriously though.. who doesn't love a cute baby at a baby shower!!!!

babies at baby showers

Re: babies at baby showers

Choose Another Board

Search Boards