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?

Coming outta this looking good, Chibi, carry on.

baguette

chibi words fail me.....

chibi that isn't an aspect of British culture. Unless you also want to include the times when Americans also get drunk and make a show of themselves which some do. Try comparing like with like.

Words fail you? Shame they didn't fail some others on this thread. Tacky, grabby, ririculous, boring as hell, cheeky, and worst of all so american, all said as sneerily as possible.

Oh yes, DO!

I know this is tricky for some, so let me reiterate. You don't like it? Don't do it. Don't sneer at those who do. Out of all the dubious cultural practices out there, this has got to be one of the least harmful.

Unnecessary Chibi. If you want to attack the person you feel made xenophoic comments, then do so directly.

God we have quite a few miserable bastards on MN don't we?

Nope never had one and I never had a hen do either but that's because my friends are all dotted around the country so logistics made it easier to not bother. Plus I'm a miserable bastard too...

However I'm going to a baby shower today that my SIL has prepared for her DIL who is pregnant - I'm taking my three daughters and I'll meet my nephew's girlfriends family and friends - what's so wrong about that?

Well quite, Maisie.

chibi that was a bit OTT - I think with the following comments on this thread you can definitely afford to take the moral high ground here:
"lets all be american because we're sad bastards"
"it's daft American twaddle"
"uber-annoying. It is an Americanism which needs to be knocked on the head sharpish"

If you think a baby shower is ridiculous because it is boring, greedy, materialistic or grasping, say that instead. Any of the comments above are not xenophobic or offensive if you replace the word American with "greedy". The anti-Americanism is depressing when the word "American" is used as shorthand for greedy/materialistic etc.

Comments like this that mean I can live in the UK for the rest of my life and I will still worry that as soon as I open my mouth some people will immediately assume I am greedy and materialistic because of my accent.

Tacky, grabby, ridiculous, boring as hell, cheeky

This is AIBU, and these are people's opinions of baby showers. IIRC only one person has linked this to them being American, and in fact lots of others have disputed that baby showers even came from America.

Agree Pink.

x-posts with Tyelperion. Ok so three people have linked it to them being American. Most people who dislike baby showers just dislike them, it doesn't make them xenophobic.

I agree with you Pink - disliking baby showers because you think they are greedy, tacky and materialistic is absolutely acceptable. Some of the showers I've read about on AIBU - where the mum to be throws her own shower, sends a list around and then behaves horrendously when given something not on the list - display a horrible lack of manners and I bet the person involved would have a grabby materialistic wedding, a grabby materialistic birthday etc.

However, disliking baby showers because they are American is by definition xenophobic. The only person on this thread who has actually said that straight out is inmysparetime, and given that she put a after it I'm really hoping that she was joking. The other comments I reproduced are, I suspect, using the word American as a shorthand placeholder for "tacky, grabby, cheeky" etc.

I remember reading Hallowe'en threads when I was a humble lurker last year, so I'm sure more examples of this will crop up soon..

flack - "Maybe I'll just hop over to some Aussie website and start moaning about whinging poms..."
If you did that you'd probably be welcomed with open arms, one of the Aussies' favourite (clichéd) pasttimes is moaning about whinging Poms.
(although to be fair the only times I've heard it have been very tongue in cheek, and in equal fairness the Aussies whinge even better. Pot, kettle, black in that case, IME!)

It's smug and counting one's chickens before they hatch, IMO. It's grabby and tacky to have lists or requests for cash in invites.

It's twee and silly, the wee games and 'pampering' and all that other complete tosh.

You're pregnant, so what?

It is not the baby shower that is the problem, it is how it is done, and who it is done by.

You would not say weddings are ridiculous because of the way a few people behave.

I had a surprise shower arranged by friends, and it was lovely.

If people want to celebrate and enjoy the moment then why not.

Although pregnancy is common place it will always be special and not "so what".

I agree withHenry that new life is always something of a miracle, and never "so what?"
Women should be celebrating their amazing ability to re-create life in the next generation. I think it can be quite embowering and feminist if done in the right way. Just because it's a bit of a new idea, doesn't mean we all have to be a'gin' it.
< No, I'm not recommending getting the gin out at this point but make mine a sloe-gin >

'Women should be celebrating their amazing ability to re-create life in the next generation. I think it can be quite embowering and feminist if done in the right way.'

Pass the bucket! The person is pregnant, hasn't given birth yet. Millions of women are pregnant. Honestly, so what?

It's a vehicle to get gifts.

sansaLannister quite agree. I don't get the whole celebrating being pregnant thing. It was between me and my kids Dad when I was pregnant, I didn't really feel the need to involve other people or understand why other people need to be involved.
It's like when people feel the need to rub other people's bumps. I would have told them to fuck off.

They're fun. But like anything else, don't partake if you don't want to.

Of course they're a part of my culture and I'm just used to them, but even so.

I just think some people don't appreciate what an amazing thing having a baby actually is.
Yes, it's something lots of people do, but that doesn't mean it can't be pretty special too.
I'm very proud and thankful for my amazing DC's. The best thing I ever did
Also best to celebrate before (as well as afterwards) because you might be too busy later
PS A bucket might be rather large for collecting all the cash, but if you're feeling generous Sansa ....
< duly passes bucket in hope of generous donations for all MNer babies >

Aw, cuddles, hun. A baba iz such a blessng.