Is It Proper and Necessary to have a Grandmother Shower?

Baby showers are a time for family and friends to get together and celebrate a new addition to the clan. While you should invite grandmas-to-be to the baby shower, ask the mom-to-be first, of course. There might be some strain between them and this would not be the best time to work things out.

However, there are angels in the guises of grandmas-to-be and these would be welcome all the time. You could even make them feel extra-special by having a decorated chair for them beside the mom-to-be, and give them a special baby sock or flower corsage to wear. What about having a small cake to celebrate them or even just a specially decorated cookie? These are wonderful ways to show them that they are just as appreciated and not forgotten.

There's a new trend going on right now, though, where the grandma-to-be gets her baby shower. Usually given by her own friends and thrown when the parents-to-be live quite far away, this baby shower is supposed to ensure that the grandma-to-be has everything she needs when the little one comes to visit.

This is still something new that's not very popular with everybody. While some people think that it's sweet to do this, there are others that feel it's like stealing the limelight from the mommies-to-be instead. It's really quite a wonderful thing to do, provided that it's emphasized that it's for the grandma-to-be, and not the mom's at all.

Planning these is rather fun and it soon becomes an excuse for grandma and her friends to gather together and exchange stories about grandchildren while they feast on delicious food and open the prettily wrapped gifts.

The key here is to keep it an informal gathering and make it as different as possible from the mom-to-be's baby shower. Don't have the games, for example, and have it at a different time entirely, perhaps in the evening for hors d'ouvres and cocktails. A grandmother baby shower should not be about trying to imitate a traditional baby shower.

In that regard, don't register for gifts! There is nothing tackier than doing that. Whatever gifts are given are those that the guests would think is appropriate and hand-me-downs are also acceptable here when it comes to a playpen or crib, highchair, and stroller. Why get something new when the baby's not going to be at the house permanently?

What to do about those adorable baby clothes that are bound to show up? Send them over to the mommy as soon as you can. They're for the baby to use, remember.

A wonderful thing to do would be to invite the mom-to-be to the party and even get her on through the webcam, if possible. It's a terribly emotional time for her and it's worse if she's living several hours away.

The grandmother baby shower is all about celebrating a new phase in life. That's what is important about it, not about the presents or taking the place of the mommy-to-be. It's one of the best times to enjoy life to the hilt.