Article DetailsGuide To Throwing The Perfect 2nd Baby Shower |
| Date Added: January 29, 2010 05:00:00 PM |
| Author: Alice Ballard |
| Category: Entertainment: Events |
| A baby shower is one of the nicest ways for new parents to acquire the items that they need to have a smooth start to parenthood. It's a time-honored way for the parents' friends and family to show that they can count on their support. For some people, holding a shower for a second baby was not considered proper, as the parents probably already had most of the items they needed. It is now more acceptable to have a shower for a second baby, but you have to make some modifications.
You could make it an essentials-only shower, asking guests to bring items that are always needed, such as bottles (the nipples always wear out or get lost), diapers and wet wipes, and burp cloths. You can add to the gift registry those items which the parents did not receive with their first baby. You can also have a shower where the gifts are for mom, with guests bringing relaxing and useful items for her to enjoy during the last days of her pregnancy and after the baby is born. These gifts might be luxury items like a box of decadent chocolates, or perhaps something practical, like a stationery set to respond to gifts. It can also be especially fun to throw a shower that reminds the mom that she won’t be pregnant forever, with gifts like lingerie, chocolate treats, alcoholic beverages, and other items. Obviously mom and dad will need some time for themselves, so a nice idea might be to get a gift certificate for an elegant dinner - with babysitting included, of course. Another useful idea is to sit down with the dad and the mom's loved ones, and organize a dry-erase calendar with concrete offers of help where it is likely to be needed. You can include activities like getting the house in order while mom's in the hospital, helping run the older child to school or lessons, or even being an extra pair of hands during a big grocery trip or errands day. After being sure to get down all the names and phone numbers of the helpers, present the finished calendar to mom at the shower. Sometimes, both the baby and the mom have everything they need already. You might choose to simply have a party, inviting the mom's closest friends and family. An optional activity is to have guests purchase small baby items and then donate them to a local shelter or charity. Another idea for a second-baby shower is to hold a "freezer" party, with guests bringing food that can go in the freezer or else be easily stored. During the final days of pregnancy and the first week after the birth, mom will definitely appreciate this. If having this kind of a shower, however, you'll need to let mom know so she can see if she has enough space for everything, as well as choose a date very close to her delivery date. Finally, if the new baby is going to be several years younger than the next-oldest sibling (a so-called "caboose" baby), you can feel free to host a full-on baby shower. Many times even the "big" items will no longer be around, or will need safety updates, so mom and dad will appreciate all the help they can get. Regardless of the type of shower you are holding or if the gifts are large or small, remember that you are there to let the mom know that she and her new baby have all your love and support. |
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