Got invited to a baby shower - what to give?
 

I've never been to one. What do people do there? Isn't this traditionally a women get-together sort of thing? The shower is being thrown for someone from work who's having a baby, but it will be held at another coworkers home. Since I got an invitation, I take it that other people from work, particularily those from my dept., also got one. I don't know if I'll go, but if not I'd still like to give a gift since the mother-to-be is someone I know and talk with at work. I did a little research and gift baskets usually pop up as popular gifts. I also like the idea of a gift card from maybe Target. But how much should I give? I don't want the card to be too cheap or too much. I also like the idea of a spa gift card. I hear that people give diapers, but what sort of gift is that even though it will come in handy. Maybe baby clothes will do.

So what do people do at baby showers? I'm not one to go to these social events. I suck at small talk and can be socially awkward amongst people at a social event. I'll have to find out what sort of food will be served!

Condoms.

My wife and I either buy off their registry or give one of these:
http://www.brooksbabygifts.com/category/Baby-Diaper-Wreaths/c45

We got them for both of our kids, and as hard as it may be to believe they are very cool to receive. They can have more than just diapers on them too.:cool:

Also, in my experience all the guys invited end up bailing out and sending a gift unless it's a shower held at the workplace.

Liquor.

My wife is planning a baby shower for our son's wife. My other son is providing the food, and, knowing his repuatation for cooking, I want to be at the shower. However, the guys are all expected to go to my son's house ( the father of the soon-to-be born son) for meat cooked over a fire.
Decisions, decisions...

Check the baby registry at Target or Babies 'r Us.

Here's another great , inexpensive shower gift. I've given this to friends with newborns and everyone has been amazed at how the techniques really work (including my wife and I).:cool:

http://www.amazon.com/Happiest-Baby-Block-Crying-Longer/dp/B0006J021C/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1212762039&sr=8-1:cool:

It has been markedly in the last two years, that I have noticed some people have begun to include males on baby shower invite lists. I do know or care to know the reason for this, but mercifully, my wife agrees that for a male to attend such a gathering is unnecessary at best and inappropriate at worst.

What if it was held at Shelly's Back Room?

This is an office shower so there probably won't be baby games, just cake and ice cream. Attend and wish her well. Rest assured you won't be invited to the girls' only shower. :)

Although my brother and brother in law say its a great place, I still feel like it is a none-too-subtle attempt to emasculate, so I'll have to pass:D

Hear! Hear! Yeah, both sexes need not do EVERYthing together. I think that would make us all a lot duller and less interesting. Men and women need to retain a little bit of mystery in their lives to stay interesting to their mates.

You are wise beyond your years, Dee. It is understood and accepted in proper culture that the men are to gather at a bar while the shower is being undertaken, the only dilemma being where the cab is supposed to go first to pick everyone up after both factions have had too much to drink:D (a true gentleman wouldn't suggest that the abstaining expecting mother shuttle everyone in her suburban)

Castor oil'n soap.

Shelly is a "back door" girl? :D

Sure, she speaks Greek,as the saying goes.

I'd go to the baby shower since I am not so insecure in my manhood that I fear it is emasculating. This is assuming there are nice looking girls to check out and if the food is good. OTOH, I'm not into babies myself so it wouldn't be interesting.

I can't imagine you get invited to much of anything, so its pure conjecture.

Well, I couldn't imagine any female ugly and desperate enough to have sex with you without payment and drugs involved either but you claim it has happened. Guess we will have to live with conjecture.

So are you a back door man? :D

You know I was thinking the same thing. WTF its a womens event, what next inviting them to the bachelor party?:confused:

I think its a way to extract more gifts from people.

If you had a fiancee that "drove on both sides of the road" and female strippers were present and she got into it, would you object especially if the strippers would go home with you to give you a "wedding present"?

How so? When I go to a party with the wife, we don't give individual gifts. Should she go alone, it would be a "Mr & Mrs" gift just like if I went with her.

The men end up in the kitchen drinking beer but if you like this person go anyway. A big package of quality cloth diapers, while not particularly glamorous, would probably be the single most useful gift of the lot even if they are not used for their traditional purpose.

Yeah but this is a work party, so she just sprayed invites to a bunch of people.

I'd say go anyways. Probably a few men who will dare to go there and you get to look up or down dresses. Don't forget to paste mirrors to the shoes.

A diaper genie is always popular... The gift of smelly diaper containment!

I don't recall having made that claim here, but I'd still wager you don't get invitations to stuff, ie repeat dinner invitations.

I've been to a co-ed baby shower before. It wasn't bad, of course, us guys had hot wings and a pool table at our disposal.:D

You did claim to have kids so I assumed that you were talking about your biological ones. Of course, I might have forgotten that they could be adopted or hers and somebody else's. My bad.

What a coincidence. You could come down to the Texas Roadhouse at 2000 hrs CST and see us with somebody we have been out with several times. If that time is not convenient, maybe in a couple of weeks where we are meeting with a friend for dinner. All of which are repeats. About that wager. What are you willing to bet that I am not lying? IF necessary, I can pull up correspondences and testimony if there is a large enough bet. I can give you the number of my classmate in NJ too, with whom I have an open invite. Not to mention the folks that have informally adopted me after I know them for 12 years. All of which can be verified if the sum was large enough. How many more you want to verify? You going to call and see if I am bluffing?

It's Shelly's Back Room- sorry i corrected it. Continue on, continue on.

http://www.yelp.com/biz/shellys-back-room-washington

It's not my masculinity or manhood I'm concerned about by going to a shower but more about feeling awkward and not really talking to anyone at such social gatherings. Sure I'll see fellow workers there but then it's not like I really buddy up with them at work. I can't imagine going there, pretending to enjoy myself while I'm wondering what the heck do I say or talk about or to whom do I go up to and make small idle chat. I'm not a social person and tend to remain aloof, which could be misinterpreted as being snooty or not enjoying myself or other people's company. Anyway, giving fancy diapers sounds good. I'll have the hostess of the shower give the gift for me. :)

I'm sure there will be friends and family members of the parents-to-be who will attend, but as far as people from work, there is me and four other male employees. I don't know if they will go.

Just go for say a half hour and excuse yourself and disappear.

It depends, if I were him and didn't hate the people I worked with I'd probably guy for awhile. This sounds like a "work" baby shower.

You never know might be some fun.

Their is a fine line between being aloof and anti social.:D

Baby shower means the woman is preggo, right? Doesn't that make the boobs larger?

Yes, but don't be greedy; they're for the baby.

I wouldn't go. Getting someone to give your gift for you is win win.

I had the misfortune to attend a baby shower once. If you're going, leave your testes at home, and practice your cooing for the expected (nay, demanded) reaction when Mommy unwraps some overpriced yuppie rug-rat rag.

Ok, you've got me on my soapbox now. As I get older and notice that my personal hourglass is starting to have more sand in the bottom than the top, I have become much more ruthless about how I dedicate my personal time. Social conventions? Acting PC? Frick ALL of that. Here's what it comes down to: Do I want to go? If so, I'm there. If not, I'm not.

Sharing is possible.

Not if the host and the mom feel you are snubbing.

Somehow I never had that problem when I attended one years ago. Never had to practice either. Just took a glance at the baby, "Oh, he is healthy. Good for you." and was done.

Somehow, I think if you feel you have to leave your testicles at home, you probably don't have them anyways. I have been to dinners where I am the only non-medical person and it hasn't made me feel stupid. I have been to Victoria's secret and helped the wife pick out stuff and I don't feel weird. This is a social event just like any other. Might as well be a X'mas party. And yes, I have been to those although I am not agnostic. Hell, I have even been to church and don't believe. I took the host and wine although I don't believe because it was out of respect to a friend who was getting married.

Somehow, I can't fathom why people feel so weird at these supposed "female events and/or places".

I'm not for acting PC. I am looking at it from a political standpoint.

Keep patting them on the back. You never know when they might need to find a knife stuck between their ribs in the back. That or they might make more open roads for you.

Paul, thank you. Can you paint over espresso?

Then they can give me my gift back.
Men shouldn't even be asked, let alone expected to attend a baby shower. I'd bet $10 the husband won't even be there. Pending non-whipped verification.

Why? Is it some physical law?

I doubt he will too. Most are too scared to be seen as not being manly enough.

How about a savings bond?

How about oral sex to the mom to be? It isn't like it is real sex so the dad shouldn't mind. :D :D

Why shouldn't a man be asked? Because men, gay or straight, have no interest is oohing and aahing over someone else's kid. It's just not a thing we do.

It's not a question of appearance. Name something that doesn't involve violation or pain that you wouldn't rather do than attend a baby shower. I'd rather Civil War re-enact than go to a baby shower.