Baby Shower Resources
Baby Shower FEATURED THEMES Classic Themes Baby Boy - Blue Baby Girl - Pink Nursery Shower Nursery Rhymes Ducky Shower Diapers & Essentials Time of Day April Shower Twinkle Little Star Winnie the Pooh Noah's Ark Baby's First Clothesline Special Situations Baby Sprinkle 2nd, 3rd baby Peas in a Pod Twins Double your Fun Twins Distance Shower Adoption Shower Pampering Mom Baby as Special Guest Big Sibling Couples Men are invited Co-worker Shower Ladies Luncheon More Great Theme Ideas Candy Land Sports Baby Little Lamb Green Eco-shower ABC Learn with Me Library for Baby Little Angel Bear Necessities Gift Basket Scrapbooking Born to Rock Western Shindig Keeping Baby Safe Baby Naming Party Words of Wisdom Frogs Little Red Wagon POETRY by Theme Baby Shower Poetry

Ideas from our Visitors         Mom and Dad Baby Shower by Kim Take Me Out To The Ball Game! by Jennifer Munksgard Burgers and Babies by Michele Baby Shower for Dad by Kelli Diaper Party for Mom and Dad by Jeni Parents' Baby Pictures by Cory More themes from our visitors   Do you have an idea to add to this theme? Send it to us!             Gift Ideas

Couples Baby Shower

 

The equality between the sexes has progressed a lot in recent decades, and we can now see it reflected in the way that we celebrate the arrival of a new baby.  And why not, it is not like parenthood is a one sided arrangement where mothers do all the work, although I have felt that way on some occasions.  Fathers contribute to the health, well being, and happiness of the family’s smaller members on a daily basis.

Historically, baby showers were the exclusive domain of women and although this is still quite common, close male friends and family members have been increasingly included along with Dad of course.  Men at baby showers add a whole new element to the party and although some activities may be sacrificed to make fathers and other male guests more comfortable, a couples shower creates a party that feels like a family celebration instead of just a shower.

Not that I feel that there is anything wrong with a girls-only baby shower since they can be lots of fun, especially when women get to relax and not worry about men seeing them look extremely silly.

When you are throwing a couples baby shower, there are a few things to take into consideration in your planning.  First and foremost is whether or not Dad would like to be there.  Let’s face it, stereotypes are still alive and well in today’s society, and a new father may not feel any inclination to be at the baby shower.  It does help if you change the wording of the party, believe it or not.  Having a name for it that is not associated with a female get together is a great way to get Dad into joining the festivities.  Call it a Baby Celebration instead.  If he still doesn’t want to come or he is grumbling about having to be there, don’t sweat it.  Just have a girls-only shower since the last thing you want is the stress of an unhappy guest, especially if the guest is the father to be.

Next you will need to consider the length of the shower.  Generally a couples shower is a bit shorter than a traditional baby shower, but if it has more of a family gathering feel to it, it can actually be longer. Leave the times open for the shower on the invitations that you send out so that guests will feel that they can stay a short period of time and a longer period of time.

The theme of a couples baby shower is really what is going to make or break the party.  Let’s face it, you are not going to have a pampering for mom theme or a dainty garden tea party.  If the baby is a boy, here is the perfect opportunity to have a Sports Themed Shower.  Perhaps it could even be a Superbowl Baby Shower, although be sure not to schedule it on the actual day of a sporting event.  Any other boy-centered themes will also work great.

Avoid decorating in a feminine fashion.  This does not mean not having baby-centered decorations by the way since that will leave the male guests feeling a bit out of their element.  If Dad comes into a room filled with pink balloons, pink streamers and bright pink carnations, chances are he’s going to turn tail and run out of the house yelling over his shoulder, “I’ll pick you up in a few hours.”

This doesn’t mean that you can’t have feminine decorations but tone them down and use more neutral colors.  I know that pink was a hot color for men a few years back, but most men avoided the color like it carried the Black Plague so don’t go to the extreme with feminine decorations.

The invitations for the shower should also clearly reflect the fact that it is a couples shower.  Instead of listing that it is a baby shower for Sue, you should place on the invitation that it is a shower for Sue and Ken.  Make sure that you stress that it is a couples showers and that spouses, boyfriends or male guests are invited as well.  Spelling it out clearly will help women get their spouses to a celebration that they might otherwise avoid.

A great meal for a couples baby shower is a family barbeque or traditional family meal that everyone already knows and loves.  Here is where you might really want to ask the mother and mother-in-law for assistance!  Try to have food that everyone will enjoy, and if everyone will be happy with sandwiches and finger foods, then by all means, serve it.  Although it is not required, having a few alcoholic beverages available for guests is a great idea for a couples shower.

The events at a couples shower can be a bit difficult to organize since you won’t be doing the usual baby shower games.  There won’t be any pie plate hats filled with bows and ribbons, no laughing women as they try to judge how much ribbon it will take to wrap around the waist of the women or women being diapered in toilet paper.  There will still be games, and you can adapt some of the traditional games to fit a couples shower.  Games like Empty That Bottle! contributed by Sabrina, can be pretty funny when grown men try to empty a bottle.  I like to add a bit more humor by having a few dummy nipples where there are no holes in them or very small holes.  It usually takes guests a few minutes before they realize that they are not getting much, if anything at all.  Perhaps have a range of beverages in the bottles so men can choose one with beer if they wish.  You could also play Taste It! contributed by Heather Summers.  I seem to be indicating that men like to drink and eat but don’t take it that way.  You can also play simple board games that you take out of your closet.  There are so many out there that can be a lot of fun and if you want to get into video games, I have heard great reviews about Guitar Hero.  After a few minutes everyone will be enjoying the game and even baby will start enjoying the tunes that the guests are belting out on the game. This is sure to be a hit with the guys at the party!

Regardless of the games, you should keep prizes for the shower neutral or offer prizes for both genders. A great couples gift is vouchers for a romantic dinner for two or a movie night.

A couples shower can be lots of fun, maybe even more fun than making a baby, and you will soon see that men fit into the overall celebrations quite nicely.  After they warm up, they will give little pieces of advice, share a few stories and provide entertainment for all.

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