The birth of a baby is certainly an exciting time and a time to celebrate but it is also often a nervous time spent rushing around making sure that you have everything you need and stressing about whether or not you will be able to cope. This of course is especially true if this is your first baby. The idea for a baby shower came about as a time for family and friends to be together prior to the arrival of the baby and to help relieve the financial burden on parents-to-be by giving them many of the accessories and furnishings that they will need as soon as the baby arrives.
In spite of the fact that nowadays most people prefer to break away from the traditional mold when it comes to a baby shower, generally these events still stick largely to traditional guidelines. Almost certainly one of the most noticeable changes to the baby shower format is the fact that they are no longer exclusively the preserve of women and lots of men make it onto today's guest list and are happy to join in. While they may not take part in all of the baby shower games, men do like the opportunity to give their regards to the expectant parents. You must bear in mind though that in some cultures baby showers are thought to be a sign of bad luck and so, if there is a possibility that the expectant parents might feel this way, then you should be sure to check before organizing a baby shower. In some parts of the world a baby shower is in fact organized after the baby is born while it others it is held prior to the birth. In many ways it is a good idea to have the shower following the birth because a baby shower is after all a celebration of arrival of the new baby and guests obviously like to see the focal figure of the celebration.
It also makes it much easier to pick gender-appropriate colors and gifts and, if your gift needs engraving, then your guests have all of the details they need. Even though having the baby shower after the birth of the baby makes sense it is a very busy time for new parents and many of the baby items that the need are needed as soon as the baby arrives home. That is why holding the baby shower prior to the birth of the baby is becoming a more common option. The baby shower is traditional and in most cases showers involve a core of basic planning and activities.
A guest list will need to be compiled, a venue selected and invitations sent out. The shower venue then has to be decorated and food, drink and games organized. Additionally, as it is a very special occasion, you may also want to consider having a magician or other performer participating in the festivities and also a photographer to make a record of the event. A baby shower can easily grow into a big affair with a lot of things to organize that are going to end up costing a lot of money.
For this reason it is a good idea to put together a budget for the event before you begin and then make sure that you stick to it. Running a winning baby shower does not require special talent but it does take a carefully thought out plan that includes a budget and a timeline.
Parenting4Dummies.com provides a wealth of information about parenting styles and covers a wide range of topics including such things as putting together a baby shower event planner
