Family Baby Showers


The addition of baby number 2, 3, or 10 is an occasion to celebrate for any family.

Just think how exciting it must be for your littlest one who is used to always being the younger brother to find out he's going to be a big brother!

Though baby showers have traditionally been held for mommies-to-be only, times are changing and many people are having baby showers to celebrate the new baby's whole family-to-be.

What better way to celebrate than to throw a baby shower party in their honor?! Grandparents or aunts or uncles can organize a baby party for the extended family and some close friends to mark the importance of the family unit.

Make a family tree to hang at the baby shower party. Have guests sign on their "branch" as a keepsake for the baby. "Trees" could be a baby shower theme for the party.

Other baby shower decorations for a family baby shower could include past portraits, baby pictures of Mom, Dad, and siblings, and a history of the family name.

Spend some time thinking about some funny stories from parties past. Like the time the expectant mom tripped during Aunt Edna's wedding. Or when the new baby's older brother fell asleep in the linen closet at the Christmas party last year.

Ask your baby shower guests to do the same and come prepared to share. These could be a whoot to retell. Beware: Mommy-to-be may laugh way too hard and cause herself to go into premature labor!

When sending out baby shower invitations, inform your guests that this will be a party for the whole family and that gifts for Mom, Dad and siblings are appreciated in addition to baby shower gifts for the new baby.

A few suggestions for one gift for the whole family. Buy a gift certificate for a portrait. Open a savings account for a future vacation. Or you can buy individual baby shower gifts for each, like matching t-shirts!

No gathering would be complete without a family photo. Make sure someone there has a camera with a timer on it and a tripod, or something that can substitute for one.

Then, once everyone is there, and Mom is ready (she may not feel like she looks so hot, so remind her how beautiful and glowing she is). Get the whole gang together and snap a photo for the baby shower remembrance.

Take lots of other pictures as well to let baby know just how much he or she was loved even before they arrived.

One idea for preserving the memory of baby's creation is to do a belly casting. You can buy kits. They mainly consist of a plaster of Paris material to use for creating a cast of Mom's belly. This will show the new little one where they started out.

If the new baby has a lot of young cousins and siblings, keep them occupied with their own special task. Provide them with a large piece of paper and coloring supplies. Either markers, paints, or crayons. Ask them to create a welcome home banner for the baby. Then place it over the crib in the nursery.

You may want to start by providing the lettering. Then let the children color the words and add their own artwork. Don't forget to include the 'big' kids, too. Have all of your baby shower guests sign the banner as well.


More Resources

Unable to open RSS Feed $XMLfilename with error HTTP ERROR: 403, exiting

More Babies & Toddler Information:

Related Articles

Backpacking With Children: My Own Adventures
When I had my firstborn I thought I new everything there was to know about raising children. I had read all the books, interviewed all my friends, come from a family full of 'wise' people? you get my meaning.
Should a Toddler Wear Pull-Ups While Potty Training
As a parent, you've learned a lot while your child moved from being an infant, to crawling, to the mobile stage of an active toddler. Now that they are older, and able to understand simple directions and associations, you're working towards the goal of "no more diapers".
Baby Proof Your Home - Frequently Asked Questions
Keeping your baby safe at all times is one of your greatest concerns and responsibilities. There is so much to consider and it is very easy to overlook something that might be fairly obvious to some but escape others.
Naming Your Baby - How to Get the Most out of Your Babynaming Ceremony
You've engaged a celebrant and you've picked the day. So how do you ensure that the naming ceremony for your baby goes smoothly and is memorable for friends and relatives alike? Focus on two things - preparation for the ceremony, and how things are organised on the day.
The Colic Baby
When a baby has colic, the family environment is stressful and many family members may become upset or on edge. This is most often seen in new parents.
Aargh those Pesky Sleep Problems!
It's 2am and your baby is up for the third time since 7pm.She's 2 months old and from all the books and magazines you've readSHE'S SUPPOSED TO BE SLEEPING THROUGHT HE NIGHT!!!!!How long can this go on?!!! As difficult as this is it doesn't last forever.
Teach Your Baby To Read English
If your child's first language is not English, he or she canstill become an excellent English reader and writer. Yourbaby is on the way to successful English reading if she isbeginning to learn many words and is interested in learningto read in her first language.
When To Start Teaching Your Baby (1)
When is it that I should start teaching my baby? That is a question that may come to mind for many first time parents; other parents may never consider the question at all, and just leave things to evolve naturally.In a way, that is an unnecessary question as, whether you like it or not and whether you mean to or not, you begin teaching your baby while it is still in the womb, and then continue through its early years, teenage years, and even into adulthood.
Learning Activities For Your Baby
Books and Babies - For babies from age 6 weeks to 1 yearSharing books is a way to have fun with your baby and tostart him on the road to becoming a reader. What You NeedCardboard or cloth books with large, simple pictures ofthings with which babies are familiar Lift-the-flap, touch-and-feel, or peek-through play books (For suggestions, seeResources for Children,What to Do?Read to your baby for short periods several times a day.
Choosing Baby Names for Twins
Choosing a baby name for your new born can be quite a stressful decision. With thousands upon thousands of names at your disposal, you may begin to feel a little over whelmed.
Baby Shower Party Decorations to Liven up Your Baby Shower
An excellent source of information providing the perfect baby shower party decorations and baby shower themes. Decorations and themes that are focused and timesavers for the host.
Breast Feeding Basics For Your Newborn Baby
It is a myth that bottle-feeds and breast-feeding is equally good. Mother's milk is the best for proper growth of the child.
Baby Yoga and Me
Having carried a sizable bump around for a very long, very hot summer, I really wasn't in the mood for a work out.As Gwyneth Paltrow and all of my other coat-hanger thin celebrity peers snaked their way, all skin and bone about the tabloids, I scowled and knew that, even if the mood did ever take me as I sat covered in powered milk, I would just never have the time to get back in shape now that I always had my baby in toe.
How to Choose a Diaper Pail for Disposable Diapers
When you have already made the decision not to use cloth diapers, your next decision will be how to choose a diaper pail for disposable diapers.To some degree, cloth diapers will give off less odor than disposables, because they are not as absorbent, and parents often rinse out some of the urine, and dispose of solids by using liners for their cloth diapers.
Showered with Mom-to-Be Merriment
Your friend's having a baby. What an exciting time for her! You, the best buddy, have a little work ahead, however.
How to Choose a Baby Swing
According to the U.S.
Baby Shower Gift for Dads
Gift for Dads:The mom is always on the limelight when she is pregnant. Poor Dad! He is also excited as mom.
Steps To Dealing With Your Autistic Child
It is most unfortunate that many wonderful parents feel that they lack competence in dealing with their autistic child. It can be strange and depressing to feel like your normal maternal or fatherly instincts can be wrong when it comes with interacting with your own child.
Perfect Baby Shower Hostess Gifts
Picture this; you are invited to a baby shower. How do you show your appreciation for the hostess who had put the whole affair together? By giving her thank you gifts.
Home Remedies for Colic
You are at the end of your rope. You have tried everything under the sun to soothe your little one who is still crying non-stop.