Coed Baby Shower
Can A Coed Baby Shower Be A Success?
Before Coed Showers Were Cool - I got to thinking about whether a coed baby shower could be a success. The whole idea seemed a bit strange or foreign. A coed baby shower certainly isn't traditional. Time sometimes plays tricks. While wondering just how a coed baby shower could be successfully pulled off, it occurred to me that the baby shower given in honor of our oldest daughter, quite a few years ago, was a coed baby shower. I (the husband) was invited, along with some of my friends, and my expectant wife found that some of her friends had been invited as well. It was supposed to be a regular invitation to dinner, but turned out to be a surprise coed baby shower instead.
Had the home been richly decorated in pink and blue bows, I probably would have remembered the occasion for many years. Instead it was good times with friends, and presents for the baby to come. No fancy decorations, just good food and drink and coffee and cake. This was many years ago. Had I been asked to come to my wife's baby shower I'm certain I would have found some excuse not to go. But it wasn't my wife's baby shower, it was our baby shower, and that made all the difference.
More Than One Guy Is Needed - As far as who will be invited, it's a good idea to have a few men there if it’s a coed shower, and not just the husband. Chances are, most of those invited will be in the same age group. It doesn't have to be that way, but usually is. Some of those present will be young parents, some may even be expecting parents, so there won't be a lack of anything to talk about. As far as food is concerned, the shower we attended was a pot-luck. We even brought something I'm sure, thinking it was a pot luck dinner and nothing more. That's one possibility, leading to the idea of a barbecue. A barbecue is almost perfect for a baby shower, weather permitting of course.
Games? - Whether there is a need to have games depends greatly on the crowd that's going to be there. Some enjoy games, some do not, and still others could care less either way, and are happy just to have an evening out with friends or acquaintances. It can be informative to read up on other's ideas as to what games might be included in a coed baby shower. One that seems to crop up often is a Diaper Race or Relay, where teams race against the clock, or each other, changing diapers, complete with wiping and powdering, on a large sized doll. Admittedly its more fun when only men are competing, though those who have already started a family might have a bit of an advantage.
Gifts? - Gift ideas don't need to be any different for a coed baby shower than ideas for a traditional shower, as most gifts are usually for the baby anyway, though the mother-to-be may receive some as well. If that is the case, Dad shouldn't be completely left out, but finding a gift for the man of the house could at times be a challenge, though a humorous gift like a large bottle of baby powder is one possibility. A gift for both partners is always another possibility.
Themes? - While a party with a theme can be fun to plan and fun to have, the baby on the way should be theme enough in most instances. One just needs enough in the way of decoration to show that the baby and parents are being honored, and this can consist of nothing more than a specially decorated cake.
If just could be that the main barrier to throwing a successful coed baby shower is overcoming the mentality that treats it as a revolutionary idea, fraught with all sorts of unknown dangers. It's a party, though a very special party, honoring three very special people.