Baby Shower Woes

[House of Light]

Hey everyone. I have a little predicament, and I am hoping that you all can give some advice.

My only sister is having a baby:thumb Baby is due end of August....and my SIL's are planning her shower....and have asked me to help(I'm trying not to be sarcastic...'but how nice.' My sister is one of my best friends). Anyhoo...sil #1 is a total feminist....is 23, and quite naive about life in general. SIL #2 is a pagan witch, and SIL #3 is a born again Christian, although very quiet about her life.

SIL #1 is insisting that SIL#2(pagan) host the shower at her house. SIL #2 won't even allow the name of Jesus to be said....but she'll pray to the 'goddess".:twitch SIL #1 wants to keep "religion" out of it. My sister is a woman of faith.....she prayed for this baby for a long time. Secondly, we have a very large family ...and sister has many friends. SIL #2 has a large home....but no air.....and crammed full of people.

Anyway, I am meeting with SIL's to discuss shower. I am going to talk to my sister first, and have her tell me what she would like and not like. I am trying to get across to SIL #1 that this is NOT a bacherlotte party....

So, first of all....do any of you have readings or scripture that is pertinant to baby showers? Or games that are sometimes played? I have had plenty of showers...I've got 5 kiddos...but for the life of me can not remember. I need to bring something to the "table" when we meet. Also, pray for me that I will have the right words to speak to Sils when they insist on going on their own, and not considering my sister and the rest of the family(many aunts, grandmothers....ect).

House of Light

[firstoftwelve]

you could suggest a hall or meeting room for the place so "no one will have to clean" etc. i found my local library had very reasonable rates for rooms, just as an example.

Games - if you know the sex you can make it a sex specific shower. We've had all boys so far, so we had "snips and snails" showers. we played Match the superhero to his power , name the construction equipment, who can build the best fort out of blocks etc. It was fun to not to the basic games you do at all the other showers. Some of those other games are Name the babyfood by looking at the jar, guess the size of mom's belly with string, fill in the blank nursery rhymes, make as many baby names out of mom's full name as you can etc. Oh yeah, one time we hung a clothesline and made mom hang a basket of baby clothes while holding a doll and talking on a cordless phone.
Or we had the future grandmothers, race drinking koolaid or juice out of baby bottles.

Let me know if you want more ideas, I've been to lots and lots of babyshowers!!

[fishersofmen]

Sounds like too many chiefs and not enough indians...:spew

Whomever the baby shower is for, is who should be setting the parameters of the religious activity.

If she wants a blessing said over the meal, then it is her right to have some appropriate to say that blessing to Jesus.

I would have pad/pencil in hand at meeting, and have discussed issues like this with pregnant sis first, so whoever is the host, will be informed.

Its not appropriate for a pagan witch to say anything spritual or 'pagan' at a Christian woman's party, regardless of whether the host is pagan, Hindu or Muslim, you don't mix spiritualism.

If the pagan witch insists that if because a blessing is said over the meal, SHE demands equal time and equal pay and wants to have some hoopla to her idol, it is better that a blessing to Jesus not be said at the party at all.
Keep it totally secular if all are in agreement.
You can always pray with pregnant sister before the shower for blessings and a good a safe celebration for all before the festivities.

Games- you can find many on the internet. You can buy one baby game book and make copies so you aren't buying alot of books.
People like a few games-maybe 3-4 at the most and they like FOOD.
LOTS and LOTS of snacks and food and drinks.
This is what they enjoy, and watching mommy to be open the cute gifts.

3-4 games are not hard to come up with, Bingo, baby name games, clebrity baby's names games, make as many words out of these names, word puzzles, games using diapers, people wear a baby pin on their lapel and if they say outloud some 'key' word, they lose their pin to somebody else who catches them saying it, the person with the most baby pins wins the prize.
People love the prizes but don't expect young women to spend a lot of money on these little tidbit gifts.
Hit the dollar store, craft store, gardening things are 1/2 off at Jo Ann's right now. We let people 'pick' their gift from a gift table, so they weren't stuck with a plant and hated gardening, or got a box of candy and were diabetics.

Balloons are cheap and fun for decorations/crepe paper, some pink and blue m'ms in little candy dishes, some flowers taken off the stem and strewn on the tables that are on sale from Joann's or dime store.

Cake's can be bought at a bakery, or a nice sheet cake, or pretty cupcakes in pink and blue icing.
You can use the theme of the mommies nursery for decorations also, I have a daughter who loves Classic Whinnie the Pooh, I"m sure we'll be using decorations of that cartoon for her baby shower someday. God willing.

Have fun, don't let anything ruin this for your sister.
Enjoy.

[1angel4u]

As far as having a pagan witch calling the shots, I can only add:

Rom. 16:17
KJV [17] Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them.

and...

Isa. 8:20
KJV [20] To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.

As far as games: Baby bingo, length of crepe paper to guess the mothers circumference - closest one wins, smallest brass safety pins in a bowl full of rice - whoever picks out the most, wins. (This is so hard, believe me, you wouldn't think - but it makes for great fun - it's hard to feel them amongst the rice!!) :thumb

Another game I just used at a shower was (it can get expensive!) putting all sorts of small baby stuff on a tray and passing it around, giving everyone about 15 seconds to 1/2 a minute to get an eye-full, then having them write down everything they saw. The reason I say it can get expensive is because you need to have about 25-30 items on the tray - but small things; pacifier, spoon, mittens, socks, nose-sucker, bib, teething ring, rattle, etc. Person who guesses the most, wins! And then at the end, the Mom-to-be gets all the stuff from the tray!! (I spent $70+ on this "game" - so be careful!!)

[antsinmypants]

Neutral setting, and in accordance with the wishes of the one the baby shower is for (as far as spiritual talk etc).

baby shower games and ideas:

http://www.babbee.com/

http://www.babyshowerscentral.com/

http://www.babyshower101.com/



I had a suprise party thrown for me before my mom came, and everyone just pitched in to bring the gifts over, and thankfully I had made dessert just that day and had enough things on hand to provide for everyone (mom always taught us to plan ahead and make enough for a few extra folks). Everyone did bring drinks though, so it helped!

[House of Light]

Thanks for the advice everyone....going to meet with my pregnant sis this weekend.

[mom211]

Have everyone write down their best baby advice and or their most embarrassing moment in parenting. and share. Also, perhaps consider two separate showers? One for their relatives and one for your relatives? I wouldn't want to get in the middle of sisters who can't agree.

[House of Light]

Have everyone write down their best baby advice and or their most embarrassing moment in parenting. and share. Also, perhaps consider two separate showers? One for their relatives and one for your relatives? I wouldn't want to get in the middle of sisters who can't agree.


She is my sister....the women who I am having a hard time with are our brothers wives. (I have 5 brothers...:doh) Her husband only has one sister who is 100's of miles away. The other side of the family(sisters husband) is very small. One first cousin......we have 65 first cousins last time I counted:aha Perhaps we should rent an auditorium.....jk.

[mom211]

Sorry, I misread and thought they were her sil's from her husband's side of the family. Sounds like your kinda stuck. Definately keep it out of their homes where they can set the tone. Maybe everyone can be be in charge of certain things so they won't cause too many difficulties. I guess you have to look at their hearts, they seem to desire to do something nice for your sister.