Traditionally baby showers are hosted by a close friend or family member such as the mum-to-be's own mum or mother-in-law. However, there is an expanding trend for the dad-to-be to take on the role as the host of the baby shower. So here are a few tips for any dad-to-be thinking about throwing a baby shower for his other half (Oh) to help him with the organisation.
1. Who to request - this is Important! Have you been paying attentiveness to her when she talks of her friends, colleagues and family? Who are her closest friends that she'd want there - and who might she a) have had a recent bust up with, b) confidentially can't stand, or c) would rather eat her own arm than have to socialise with at her own baby shower! Does she get on with her colleagues or does she leave work at the door when she gets home? Would she want her friends/colleagues/family socialising with each other or would it be good to keep them separate? If you don't know already start subtly digging for the info you need!
2. Only make it a mixed male and female party if you Know that your Oh would like it. You might prefer to have some male firm to discuss the footie with but if your Oh would rather some incommunicable girly gossip time then keep it just female. If you can't stand the idea of being the only male there then maybe make a deal with the mum-to-be's closest friend that you'll do the organising but she'll run the party once the guest of honour has arrived whilst you sink a merge of pints in your local.
3. If you stay at the party to be the host then make sure you are the host. This means it's up to you to keep the party running on time, get the games played in plentifulness of time (including rounding up the guests to listen to the game rules, giving out the props needed and spurring everybody on), having the food laid out and topping up drinks where necessary. Keep everything running smoothly, don't embarrass your Oh with any miniature anecdotes about her gravidity habits that she'd rather keep in the middle of the two of you and be an attentive host and you'll have all her friends wishing their Oh's were as great as you!
4. Make sure you of course request the guests - this doesn't have to be a formal invitation by post, as emailing or Facebook messaging is Ok too, just make sure that you give citizen plentifulness of observation and that you result up to find out who has confirmed so you know the final number of guests to cater for.
5. What kind of venue is going to be appropriate? Would your Oh prefer to chill out at home or be (non-alcoholic) wined and dined at a restaurant? Is she a spa-day type woman or a lady who lunches on delicate afternoon teas? Would she like a big formal 'do' or a relaxed picnic in the park? You know her good than whatever (and if you don't know you will once the baby is born!) so pick wisely. And if you of course aren't sure then have a word with her closest friend and ask for some help!
6. Play to your strengths - if you are a dab hand in the kitchen then do the catering yourself and save yourself a few pennies (and earn a few brownie points!). If, however, your cooking leaves a lot to be desired then do everybody a favour and sort out external catering (and no, this does not mean picking up a Kfc trade bucket on the way to the party or ordering Pizza halfway through!). Make sure you only serve food that's safe for pregnant woman and have some tasty non-alcoholic drinks available.
7. Is your Oh the life and soul of the party and the type who would appreciate some raucous games? Or would the idea of playing any kind of game make her cringe with embarrassment? If you want games then pick them thought about - baby shower bingo is pretty safe if you know gifts will be opened at the party but save the full-on team games for baby showers where you are inescapable that the mum-to-be and her friends will feel comfortable getting stuck in.
8. Pick a theme for the party. If you are feeling creative then you could go for a nursery rhyme, children's book or popular character theme and use props such as soft toys and posters and merge the theme through the games and food too. If, however, this is one step too far with everything else to organise then play it safe and go for a straightforward co-ordinating colour-scheme. If you know the baby's gender (and are happy for everybody else to know too) then go for a primary pink or blue theme. If the gender is a surprise then go for neutral yellows, pale greens and purples.
9. Think about whether you want to have favours to thank the guests for coming. It's of course not compulsory but it is a nice touch (which won't go unnoticed by your Oh's friends by the way), and doesn't have to cost lot. A straightforward miniature box of sweets or even a cupcake in a box (especially if you've made it yourself) will go down a treat.
10. Make sure if you need to buy baby shower decorations and tableware that you buy them in plentifulness of time. Don't forget - you won't often find baby shower definite party supplies on the Uk high road currently so you'll ordinarily have to order from the internet. This means that you have to factor in adequate time for your order to be processed and then delivered. Telling your Oh about all the fab things you'd Planned to get but ran out of time to will not go down well!
Hope this helps and good luck!
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