AIBU to think baby showers are completely ridiculous?

[woowoo2]

I didn't have a baby shower (ds is 6 now) as it wasn't the 'done thing' back then. My real friends saw me throughout my pregnancy, picked up lovely little trinkets and outfits when the mood took them etc.

I didn't ever expect gifts or any sort of fuss, I mean - you have chosen to have a baby, surely the onus is on you to buy your moses basket etc (I have seen several given as gifts at baby showers and was )

AIBU to think they are ridiculous, boring as hell and rather cheeky?

It's not a fake party though. It's a real party. You know; a bunch of friends coming together to drink nice things, chat, eat food, listen to music...

What's a fake party?

The peo

An 'any excuse to have a party-party' is fake IMO.

How extraordinary.

I'm having an "any excuse to have a party-party" for my friends on my son's birthday, because all he's had to do to get his party is remain alive, while we have had the harder work of raising him. My objection to baby showers is the fact they are so american. Also, parties when you're pregnant are tiring and disappointing, as everyone else gets to drink alcohol and stand up for a reasonable amount of time while you sit down with your schloer or go to the loo ( for the 300th time).

Bit naff.

What is a valid excuse to have a party? I'm curious.

:o @ 'How extraordinary.'

I may have been channelling Steven Fry as I typed that. I was definitely looking over my specs

why does anyone need to throw a party or have one thrown on their behalf? Why not an adult "do you fancy a night out/meet for a coffee" text/call/email/whatever to your friends? Why the need for a party - usually thrown by one enthusiastic neighbour or friend - which then morph into a baby shower which then require presents.

You're only having a baby, fgs. Women have been doing this throughout the world for millennia without feeling they need to have parties thrown for them. Continue to socialise as normal with your mates, and then if they'd like to drop round afterward to see you and the baby, with or without a gift, then lovely.

if you've got a group of friends and one decides that throwing a baby shower is A Good Thing, then it's very churlish to say "not this time", esp. if you all socialise together as a matter of course.

Ah, well, some of us don't have social circles so don't have the .. difficulty of having to occasionally turn down invites.

I don't see why A Baby Shower is a Bad Thing but a Birthday Party is perfectly okay. Especially surprise Birthday parties thrown for friends, I presume those are also "naff" and "grasping" affairs?

My objection to baby showers is the fact they are so american

At least InmySparetime has the balls to be Honest. Anybody else up for more American culture Bashing? :(

Maybe I'll just hop over to some Aussie website and start moaning about whinging poms...

If you read the previous posts then you would understand the context in which I wrote that.

Birthday parties are long established traditions - primarily for children. How many adult friends throw birthday parties for each other every time one has a party? If your group does then I'm guessing that baby showers are seen as OK. If not (major milestones excepted) then baby showers remain naff and grasping.

I don't think they're a new thing - my mother had one with me over thirty years ago.

I really enjoyed mine and I enjoy other people's too.

However, I do think they've become too formalised and commercial, and sometimes expectations are a bit high. They should be just a group of friends getting together and passing on some useful stuff for the baby (and Mum) and celebrating the new baby to come.

The idea of a baby present list like a wedding present list is a bit .

Birthday parties don't happen for adults, (usually) unless it's a milestone birthday. I'd rather go on holiday.

Baby showers are still naff.

YABU
Nothing wrong with baby showers - and you don't have to go to them!
Just like any party, some will be great and others not so great.

It makes sense to me to have the baby presents before the birth and to avoid duplicates - this helps to avoid the dreadful waste of folk buying stuff for babies that is never used.

Why not just pass on stuff once the baby has been born and celebrate its safe arrival then? Why not continue to meet and socialise as normal before it's born? Why the need for a party and gifts to celebrate something that hasn't actually happened?

Essential - getting gifts before the birth doesn't ensure duplicates are avoided. Unless you are doing the whole present list thing...

Really, does it matter if you receive two babygros exactly the same? You're gonna use 'em, believe me! Two babies later, we had tonnes of pressies, never a duplicate. I'm not buying that as a reason for a baby shower.

Direct your comments to the person who made the xenophobic comments please, not the entire thread.

Anti-American? Persoanlly not. I just clump it all into that same depressing clump that is stuff you 'should' be doing these days: Watching X Factor, Liking Take That, getting into debt to save face...you know the sort of thing.

I remember the baby showers when i still lived back home in north america

They were for my friends, who pregnant and young, teenagers even did not have a lot of money to buy baby stuff, and theirown mothers had mysteriously not chosen to hang on to baby stuff for 16 years after their last child was born

We bought them things like nappies, or chipped in to get cot sheets. Nobody demanded anything. It was a chance to do something kind for a friend.

no one is forcing you to adopt anyone else's cultural practices. For instance, i have lived her in england for the last decade, and not once have i gotten so drunk i pissed myself and woke up half naked in a gutter, smeared in kebab and vomit.

To quote chibi: "no one is forcing you to adopt anyone else's cultural practices. For instance, i have lived her in england for the last decade, and not once have i gotten so drunk i pissed myself and woke up half naked in a gutter, smeared in kebab and vomit"

OVER 'ERE -This is the xenophobic horseshit you were looking for !

Oh, is it hurtful and offensive to have one aspect of your culture distorted and mocked by someone who clearly holds you and all your countrymen in contempt?

really?

Well i never. Who'd a thunk it.