A Valuable Ritual–the Baby Shower
WHO is pregnant? Oh boy! Let’s have a baby shower! Although generally secrecy is attempted, most moms have a sixth sense about these things. The excitement of luring the unsuspecting expectant mom to the shower often involves planning just short of military strategy. This is a testament to the love and friendship that the shower participants feel for the new mom. The sense of affection is the most valuable aspect of the shower. Yes, the parents-to-be will get a stack of supplies for the New Addition. But more importantly they will realize that they will not have to face their new venture alone. They will witness their friends gathered around to pledge their support. Some of their friends may have their own children. This gives them a special status as mentors and passers-down of baby stuff
The secret planning pays off and the mom- to- be walks into the ambush. There is fun and laughter as everyone explains his role in the clever deception. Some ice breaker games soon have everyone on a first name basis and the routines set down for baby showers are enacted.
Eventually the mom will be led to her place of honor. The friends are making the mom aware that they are concerned for her as she sets out on her journey. They share promises and advice as the evening wears on. The mom gets more confident with each new childrearing tip she receives.
A volunteer will sew the gift decorations onto a pie plate and insist that the new mom wear it. The gifts given by each participant will be duly recorded to ease the task of thanking people later for their generosity. However, underlying these routines is a more important vibe. It is the general feeling of support and helpfulness given off by the participants. The mom now knows that these folks will be available for consultation and consolation during those stressful early parenting months.
People who have had babies tend to give practical gifts. They know the importance of a never-ending supply of daily diapers. They understand that a wireless baby monitor can give a nervous new parent some peace of mind. They fill a baby bath with the down to earth essentials of baby care, like diaper rash cream and baby washcloths.
People who have not given birth and raised a newborn sometimes give gifts that are less than useful to the new mom. But these inexperienced gift givers are usually young people. They bring an energy to the group. They are the people who will gladly do some physically demanding activities with the baby. They will take baby out of the home so mom can rest.
Although the baby shower may have the appearance of a crazy ritual carried out by hysterical females, the hilarity disguises a very important message to the new, first time mom. She knows that the people involved are her friends. She can rely on them to help her cope with motherhood.
Tags: baby gifts, baby shower, party planning
This entry was posted on Saturday, March 6th, 2010 at 8:06 pm and is filed under loose pregnancy weight. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.