Baby Shower Ideas For Mums AND Dads

Think of all the old traditions that we have strived to break over the years. Going back even to just the 80’s, the ladies would clean up the dinner party while the men drink brandy in the billiard room, men asked other men for your hand in marriage (i.e. your father) and dads waited out in the waiting room while mums were in labour. Well, it’s time to break yet another tradition and oust the female-only baby shower.

Firstly, if we’re being brutally frank and honest, the child is the product of both of you. It takes two to tango. Every birthday from here on in is going to be a celebration that ignores gender, so why should this one be any different?

Secondly and more importantly, friendships are rarely drawn along gender lines anymore. Most couples have guy and girlfriends on both side of the relationship, so to simply not invite somebody to a baby shower based on their gender seems sexist. And isn’t that what we’ve been fighting against all this time? No one should miss out on showering the mum to be and if anything, he’ll be even more excited about the impending birth.

If you’re worried that having not only Dad but his mates around will take the focus off you, I promise you that not too many dads-to-be will mind if all the baby shower gifts are for the mum-to-be. He wants to celebrate you as much as everybody else. The only thing that might have to change in terms of “normal” baby shower behaviour is the clucky carry-on that some of us enjoy, but makes the rest of us want to vomit. And none of those embarrassing games. So instead of a baby shower, how does a “baby-que” sound?

As far as themes go, not too much has to change here, although now you’ll have an extra pair of hands and ears to help plan your baby shower. If you know the gender of your baby, then create a blue or pink drinks and dessert station complete with glassware laid out in rows, a cupcake tower and personalised baby shower mini chocolates with your names on it. You can even add your ultrasound photo to the chocolates if you like to share with family and friends. Add one of Chocablock’s 1.8m balloon garlands above the table to inject a little fun into the space without going over the top. This will only take your other half about 45 minutes to setup and looks great.

Now that you are going to have hubby on hand, you can get a little bit more ambitious with the food. Instead of baby quiches and petit fours, you can now go for gourmet elements straight from the barbecue. Have your man cook chicken with sesame and then skewer it with intermittent pieces of mint and mandarin for a delicious zesty take on chicken skewers. Or if BBQ isn’t your forte, sticky honey soy chicken is easy and tastes amazing.

On the cake front, unless you have the time, have hubby pick up either a lemon cheesecake or a lighter style cake like a sponge that you can dress with strawberries. Both are favourites for any gender of sweet tooth. Add one of Chocablock’s custom baby shower cake toppers which look fabulous in photos with both of your names on it, or something like “The Expecting Mr & Mrs Jones”.

As far as activities go, traditional baby showers like baby bingo, dirty diapers and guess the baby food may be more miss than hit. Why not go for a baby sweep instead? You can have each guest write down their predictions on baby weight, baby gender (if you don’t know) and even suggestions for baby names which can be as fun or serious as you like. Guys will usually either suggest their own parent’s names or their favourite Game Of Thrones character (Tyrion, anyone?) and that’s just part of the fun, but you might dig upa great name in the process. Another idea is to have baby’s first onesie with a series of colourful textas nearby so guests can sign, design or graffiti it to their heart’s content. Guys will enjoy showing a little creativity as much as the girls.

When it’s time for your guests to leave, send them home with some unique personalised baby shower favours like giant chocolate freckles or personalised apothecary jars filled with lollies – a perfect keepsake from a baby shower for mum and dad and their friends to fondly remember forever.