Do men go to baby showers? This is a very common question nowadays as more and more men are being invited to baby showers.
There is no doubt that the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the words “Baby Shower”, is that it is a ladies-only activity or event.
Traditionally, baby showers were organized and attended by women only. It would have been weird to find a man taking part in the cute little games and a little gossip that goes on in such events.
However, times have changed and mixed-gender baby showers have emerged. At this variety of shower, both sexes are invited to participate so that everyone can gain knowledge on childrearing.
When you had your baby shower, did your spouse show up? Did you have a coed baby shower? Please share your thoughts and opinions with us by posting a comment below.
Do men go to baby showers?
Here is what I think
If you are a man reading this, baby showers are not all about boring girl talk and cute little games.
You will be surprised to find it’s actually a big party with lots of beer, margaritas, good food, BBQ, and music. You will not be forced to put bows or flowers on your head.
Unless you are not a party person, this is one event you shouldn’t miss when invited.
Furthermore, other than partying, you will learn a lot if you have a baby on the way or plan on having kids in the future.
Baby shower games such as figuring out what is in baby food jars without the labels and naming baby clothes correctly will help you out when you become a parent.
In one of the forums, a husband who attended his wife’s baby shower stated;
“I was introduced to a onesie during our baby shower. I had never heard of that word before”
Why should fathers attend Co-Ed baby showers?
To take the pressure off mom
Traditionally, baby showers were meant to be a surprise. The mom-to-be had no idea that her friends and family were planning a baby shower until they showed up with gifts, food, and drinks.
However, the majority of moms today are actively involved in the planning and organizing of their own showers. The planning coupled with the tiredness due to pregnancy tends to put a lot of pressure on the mom.
Having the dads involved in the planning can actually help to take the pressure off the mom. She will have some time to rest without thinking about the baby shower all the time.
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To interact with the already experienced dads
Men, unlike women, do not sugar-coat anything. So if you want to know the truth about how your life will change once the baby comes, attend your wife’s baby shower with other experienced dads.
Not to scare you but you will hear the brutal truth from the sleepless colic nights to diaper changes and reflux issues from other dads.
The good thing is that they will also tell you how to deal with such issues based on their experience. Note down the things that worked for them and apply them when the baby comes.
To have fun before things get serious
Once the baby comes, you may not be able to go out any time to have fun as much as you would want to.
During the first 2-3 months, your days will consist of mostly late nights and early mornings, so you need to be mentally prepared.
Imagine the baby shower as a bachelor’s party. Actually, it’s called a Dadchelor party where the father-to-be celebrates his last days shortly before he gets into fatherhood.
There is nothing wrong with having fun one last time with your pregnant wife before your lives get filled with baby-related activities.
Co-ed Baby Shower etiquette when Dads are involved
Now, just because your husband or partner has agreed to attend the baby shower doesn’t mean they really want to.
That is why there are things you need to do to ensure that they enjoy the experience and do not regret taking time off their busy schedule.
Let’s look at some of the things you need to take into account when planning a co-ed baby shower.
Timing
Baby showers take at most 3 hours. This however depends on the kind of activities that have been planned for the day.
It’s crucial to be on time when males are around. Men can be notoriously irritable, particularly when they feel uncomfortable.
Insisting that guests arrive on time is a certain method to keep things running smoothly and on time.
If you don’t keep time, people will start to leave before you even get to the fun part of the shower such as playing games and opening gifts.
Have a male co-host
Men will likely feel more comfortable and enjoy the shower if a fellow male friend happens to be a co-host.
It will even be better if the co-host is an experienced father. He will be in a better position to ensure that the event takes into account the interests of the men from the theme to the food and drinks.
Food and drinks
Remember what you wrote on the invitation card. “There will be lots of food and beer”.
Trust me; this tends to be one of the driving factors for men’s attendance at a baby shower.
They will come expecting lots of good food and most importantly lots and lots of beer. So keep that in mind.
The theme of the baby shower
It is important to take into the desires and interests of your guests when planning an event.
So when organizing the baby shower, choose the theme with the men in mind and that which will appeal to both genders.
For instance, a sports theme is ideal for both men and women. In addition, keep the décor simple such that the guys will not feel out of place.
Invite other men
Co-ed baby showers are attended by both women and men. So it does not make sense if the dad-to-be is the only man at the event. He will feel out of place and awkward and may not even enjoy the party.
For instance, a lady who attended a co-ed baby shower with her husband stated in one of the forums:
“My husband felt out of place since despite being a co-ed baby shower, no one brought their husbands or partners so he felt out of place and it had me feeling awkward as well”
It is therefore important to insist on women bringing their partners so that the dad-to-be can have someone to chat with.
Choose the baby shower games carefully
Some baby shower games can be fun as well as humiliating especially for the mother-to-be.
As much as women love such games, it is important to avoid them when you have men in attendance. This however does not mean that you should ignore games altogether.
Consider games that will be fun for both men and women such as parent trivia games, name the baby, baby beer, and identify baby food among others.
Avoid pregnancy, labor, or delivery stories
Pregnancy, labor, and delivery stories can make men feel awkward and left out. This could be due to the fact that they have nothing to contribute or they have read and heard all the horror stories about labor and delivery.
If you want the day to be fun, avoid such stories.
Introduce topics that everyone can relate to and contribute without feeling out of place.
Conclusion
To answer your question, do men go to baby showers? Yes, they do attend co-educational baby showers. However, you need to make sure that you set the right mood for men to enjoy the event.
For instance, ensure there is lots of food and drinks, avoid labor and delivery stories, choose the games carefully, and invite other men. Most importantly, keep time so that people don’t get impatient and start leaving before the event is over.
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