My mother in law and I get along very well. She has been great since the first time we met. However...
This morning she asked me if I was going to the baby shower her niece is throwing for her daughter in law. I said that I hadn't received an invitation and thought to my self, "Yay!" Well lucky me, MIL called her niece to take care of the oversight and I just got a facebook message that I was sent an invite that must have been lost in the mail and they would like me to come. Poor DH has been invited too. So thank you MIL.
So I suppose we have to go. They are all very nice people, but I hate baby showers. It seems especially unneccessary because it's the third baby for this couple. What could they possibly want or need? The other two kids are about five and two, so they probably are pretty well set up for kids. Would a $15 or 20 wooden toy be enough or should I get something nicer?
I think that clown? is really cute. Whatever it is, I'd be happy with it :)
dqm - i agree with you that you shouldn't invite ppl just to get presents, but when they call it a shower, i assume they want gifts - otherwise why not wait and have a meet the baby type party or call the shower something different?
You can get married just call it something else and we'll be fine with it but 'marriage' is our word.
You can invite me to your baby shower just don't call it a baby shower for some weird reason.
Also, I'm not getting why you would give a gift before the baby is born but not give a gift after the baby is born? Meet the baby parties are gift giving occasions as well.
That's the thing - a shower is for the sole purpose of getting presents. If they wanted to have a party to honor the mother or to show off the baby after it is born that would be fine. I just don't want to sit and watch someone open baby gifts for an hour. And while I'm reasonably close to the lady who is giving the shower, I don't know her son and daughter in law that well.
The clown is pretty cute. That and a curly ribbon bow with a pacifier or rattle on it should be fine.
a shower is for the sole purpose of getting presents.
The sole purpose? C'mon really? Is there no food and drink? Socializing? Family bonding? Story telling? Games? Pictures taking? Memory making? Nothing but opening presents?
No wonder you hate them. The showers you've been attending sound awful. And boring.
Even if they had a meet the a meet the baby party you'd still bring a gift wouldn't you? I don't know anyone who ~doesn't~ bring a gift when invited to meet a baby for the first time even if it's not a party.
It's not that the parents 'need' anything. It's just what you do when you meet a baby. You give 'em some frankincense or myrhh or something.
I think that clown? is really cute. Whatever it is, I'd be happy with it :)
dqm - i agree with you that you shouldn't invite ppl just to get presents, but when they call it a shower, i assume they want gifts - otherwise why not wait and have a meet the baby type party or call the shower something different?
I agree - both with the clown being cute and with the idea that calling it a shower implies gifts are expected ("shower" the expectant parents with gifts).
a shower is for the sole purpose of getting presents.
The sole purpose? C'mon really? Is there no food and drink? Socializing? Family bonding? Story telling? Games? Pictures taking? Memory making? Nothing but opening presents?
No wonder you hate them. The showers you've been attending sound awful. And boring.
Even if they had a meet the a meet the baby party you'd still bring a gift wouldn't you? I don't know anyone who ~doesn't~ bring a gift when invited to meet a baby for the first time even if it's not a party.
It's not that the parents 'need' anything. It's just what you do when you meet a baby. You give 'em some frankincense or myrhh or something.
I have never met a baby whose baby shower I have been invited to. That would be...at least 6 shower invites spanning about 6 years. So yeah...I've never been invited to a single shower other than for gift giving purposes. Granted, some of those have been for coworkers, but if they weren't just trying to get extra gifts, why not have a shower away from work and invite only those you are close to?
And at least one person kept pushing me to have a housewarming party and invite everyone I'd ever met just so I could get lots of gifts (i vetoed the party altogether).
I'm sure some people (and it sounds like those are who you know) are happy just to share the time and celebrate without gifts, but in my experience, that's not usually the case.
You've never met a baby who's shower you've attended?
That's just so weird. Aren't you related to any of them? What about Christmas and Thanksgiving? Easter? Birthdays? Church? What about the market?
Also how have you only been invited to 6 showers in 6 years LOL!
I get invited to that many in a year at least.
At the shower there's usually a sign up sheet where you agree to take the new family a meal after the baby is born. At that time you get to meet the baby and not compete with alot of distractions. Or not. I know some people who just drop the food off but I never do.
Well this thread took a turn. That seems interesting that your MIL asked about you when you guys didn't seem interested in attending. Perhaps they are using it as a family reunion sorta thing. Find a nice card, put some cash in it so they can use it however they want and visit with family for an hour or so and then there ya go done and done!
Diapers are always good, too. Or wipes. I think I got a big box of each (think Costco sized) at one of my showers. (Oy yes, one of, as in I had multiple. LR doesn't like being the center of attention. That was not so much fun.)
