| Expecting mothers have enough to be
concerned about these days about these days, without having to worry
about the planning and execution of their baby shower (especially
their first!) So, to make a new mommy-to-be's shower as fun and
stress-free as possible here are some simple guidelines to follow.
First, never allow the mother-to-be to host her own shower a close
friend or co-worker, or even a relative should take the responsibility
of hosting, organizing and planning the event. Next, have your Mommy-to-be
sign up with a local baby registry. Traditional rules of etiquette
say that telling your guests what to being is rather obtuse, but
in today’s hustle and bustle world, registering your shower
simply allows your guests to quickly and easily see what the parents
had in mind.
Next the Mommy-to-be and her benevolent party planner should sit
down and make a list of people to invite to the shower. Whether
or not you should invite men to the party is entirely up to you.
If you do, be sure to include games and activities that they will
have fun with, too. Inviting guests is easier than ever, with just
about everyone a phone call or e-mail away, but hand-made invitations
add a personal touch, and can serve as memorable keepsakes for the
guests.
Generally a baby shower is held one to two months prior to the
due date to allow the parents to pick up any much needed items that
they did not receive during the shower. Also, babies do not always
arrive on schedule, and holding the shower later than one month
until the due date put the parents at risk of being unprepared for
the arrival.
Part of putting together a great baby shower is making sure your
guests have fun and leave happy. Be sure to plan games that everyone
can enjoy. You can even reward the winners with prizes. Homemade
Thank-You baskets are a great way to show your appreciation for
the gifts you were given as well as the time your guests took out
of their busy schedules.
And don’t forget the thank you notes! While opening your
gifts, have someone write down the name, phone number and address
of the person giving the gift, as well as what that gift was. This
will make sending thank you cards simple and headache-free.
Also, don’t feel bashful about holding a second shower for
your second baby. But remember, only close friends and family should
be invited, lest you should seem greedy.
The keys to proper baby shower etiquette are simple: Don't expect
the expecting to do the planning for the event, have a party planner
help make the invitation list and pick games that are fun for everyone,
plan the shower one to two months in advance, keep a list of who
attended and what they brought, be sure that the guests leave with
something they can remember the shower by, and remember to send
the thank you notes. Keeping these things in mind will ensure that
your shower is a special and joyous event that you and your guests
will remember for years to come.
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