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Why I Hate Baby Showers
I had no choice, so I dragged myself on Sunday to a baby shower. Can you say no to these kinds of events, without being called bitter? This one was for my next-door neighbor, so I couldn’t pretend to have a prior engagement, since they could see me lounging in the backyard.
I was one of the few women in attendance who didn’t have kids, who wasn’t wearing a sundress, and who couldn’t score points in the party game, “guess what’s in the baby food jar.” (Mothers, how do you tell the difference between puréed sweet potatoes, carrots and acorn squash without tasting it first?)
I oohed and aahed appropriately during the opening gifts ceremony. Those tiny booties with animals on them are really cute, and after all, they’re shoes. But as the rest of the guests chimed in, “oh, you’re going to love those burp pads,” and the “Baby Bjorn is an absolute MUST,” I sat back on the sofa and felt like an alien.
It was not all a bust. The scones and tea-sandwiches were tasty, and I got lavender body lotion as a parting gift.
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It sounds like you got off pretty easy. 🙂 I’ve heard of showers where they melt chocolate candy bars into diapers (tee hee, guess what it looks like!) and you have to guess what kind of candy bar it was. “Gross” doesn’t begin to cover this injustice to both the guests and the chocolate.
I love this post. At my last baby shower, I was the only one not in a sundress too!! In fact, I may not even have been wearing a bra, if I remember correctly.
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[…] View post: First Person Singular | Why I Hate Baby Shower Games […]
I hate shower games, period. I don’t understand why grown women, who manage to entertain themselves at other social events all the time, feel the need to play Bingo or Eye Spy every time one of them hits a milestone like marriage or parenthood. Makes me wonder what that says, actually, about those supposed “maturing experiences.” 🙂
At the best shower I ever attended, no one played games. We just sat around and talked like we would at any other party, and it was fun and relaxing.
I have to admit, I kind of wish we didn’t have to watch the gift opening, either. It’s not like Christmas or a birthday, where people get fun, unexpected stuff. I’m sorry, but bath mats, napkin rings, pacifiers, and car seats just don’t interest me. If I ever get married, I hope by the time I do I’m financially independent and can just ask everyone to donate to a charity because I’d feel bad to make anyone else sit through it, either.
I know exactly how you feel Wendy – but in these situations I just try to make it as good as I can …. so if there is anybody that’s not really participating, any other childfree people, or mothers …. I would just go talk to them and if possible, maybe say that it’s too loud and ask them to walk a few yards away to be able to keep talking to you etc.
But to take it to the “nuts and bolts” …. there are other things that happen in life which are equally as boring, avoidable or irritating ….. so it’s good to try to just come up with a way to make it easier to get through them. Know what I mean?
Sounds like the way I feel when I have to go over to my mother-in-laws. The food is pretty good there, too. Good luck! and Thanks.
Great Post…..
I found your site on stumbleupon and read a few of your other posts. Keep up the good work. I just added your RSS feed to my Google News Reader. Looking forward to reading more from you down the road!
Thanks for sharing….
hay i totally understand how you feel i knew it feels horrible and sometimes it feels like you have to go to these events regardless..I have been in situations like these before and they were taking pictures of prgo mom,holding and opening each and every gift and i felt i just wanted to leave the babyshower.
Well i guess we all have been there:) cheers:)
Totally agree with everyone. I was just invited to a babyshower and I can’t say no since it’s my sister-in-law!!! Literally right now I feel obligated to go. Let’s not forget that the main point of the shower is not too much to celebrate the mother-to-be, but for her to fill her with presents. I hate when they register in expensive stores and choose expensive gifts. Just my opinion!
I feel you. I bet you don’t hate baby showers more than I do. I just DON’t go. I might send a gift if they’re on registry. Why torture myself. It’s self-inflicted? Would anyone force themselves to go to my going-away party — even though it’s known by another name? Mmmm… don’t think so. Neither would I.
I hear you. There’s that line, which is sometimes hard to finesse, between being rude and taking care of yourself.
I just came home from a melted-chocolate-in-the-diaper baby shower. Honestly? Grown women? Even if I love the mom-to-be…honestly?
And why do men get a pass from these lousy events?
Wendy: men get a pass because…well, read the comments above yours.
THEY know WE know.
Sorry for the long posts, but I just found out about this blog today and relate to a lot of what I see.
There’s a funny song on You Tube by two women singing a duet. It’s called “Pregnant Women Are Smug.” Some of you may enjoy that.
I’ve never been invited to a baby shower, and I’ve never liked babies, so I would not want to go to one.
I’ve suffered through wedding invites, I’ve been to at least one wedding, and I’ve had a female friend or two who were in the planning stages of a wedding who would not. shut. up. about it.
(Most of these incidents occurred when I was in my 20s. One or two incidents happened in my 30s. I’m currently in my early 40s and have never been married.)
Maybe I wouldn’t find the wedding/ new baby talk so irritating if the people doing it would occasionally talk about something else, anything else – but they seldom do.
Most new brides, new mommies, or new grandmothers I’ve met are self-absorbed and impervious to hints that they need to change the subject.
They are like Terminators. They are relentless. They also will expect you to look at 700,000 wedding photos, or ten hours of baby video, which gets old very fast.