Grandma Showers?

[Disneychick75]

We had a surprise luncheon for a friend whose daughter was expecting her first grandbaby. We brought gifts. It wasn't full blown invite a million people shower. There were I think 10 or 12 of us invited.

 

[MIGrandma]

I have to admit, when I first saw the title of this thread I thought "Oh good grief, seriously?" I had never heard of throwing a baby shower for the grandmother before.

But. After reading the replies I can understand that it would be fun and a nice gesture toward the grandma, if done with just family/close friends, or like some said their co-workers. But if it was huge, inviting everyone you know and registering for gifts, etc. then that might be a bit over the top.

I agree that a new baby is definitely a cause for lots of celebrating though!

 

[lauradis]

I'm a newer grandma, but 1.5 years our first.

We just had one giant baby shower. We invited everyone we know.

In our family every child to be gets a baby shower, it's a celebration, not a chore.

Grandmas to be are the ones that threw the showers for mother to be.

If anyone I invite doesn't have enough money for a card or gift, I don't care please come and enjoy the celebration.

 

[PollyannaMom]

I think it's a cute idea, especially for a first time grandma who will be having the baby over to visit a lot.

 

[JoiseyMom]

My son and beautiful daughter (in-law) are going to be parents for the first time in July. I am so happy for them, but I would never let anyone throw me a party. They live 5 minutes away. If I need something here for the baby, I will buy it myself . Any of my friends, will be buying gifts for them, not for me.

 

[teacherlisa1978]

Ugh. The secretaries at the school where I teach threw a "surprise" Grandma shower for our principal when her daughter was pregnant with the first grand baby. It was scheduled as part of a lunch we were having on an inservice day. It was supposed to be a staff meeting from. 9-12, then a 1 hour lunch and done for the day. The shower was held during lunch and no one got done until 3:00.

I had lots of problems with this. First , if I'm lucky enough to have a day off or even a few hours off during the week I make the most of it. Don't force me to stay hours later. Second , the principal had more money than any of us teachers. Her daughter lived 12 hours away by car- she didn't need baby supplies at her house.

Worst of all, I was going through infertility and had just lost a pregnancy. Baby showers were hard under the best circumstances. Being required to go to one at work would be unbearable. The principal was the only staff member that knew what I was going through. She'd never have required me to go but she didn't know about the shower. I actually got the flu the day before the shower and I was relieved.

I'm fine with a few friends doing something nice for a grandma friend but it can definitely go too far.

 

[sasywtch]

I'm going to be a grandma is 3 weeks. Who's throwing me a shower??????
LOL This is my third grandchild. Easton after the bat. My son wanted Rawlings as the middle name but that got nixed.

 

[powellrj]

I'm going to be a grandma is 3 weeks. Who's throwing me a shower??????
LOL This is my third grandchild. Easton after the bat. My son wanted Rawlings as the middle name but that got nixed.

Congrats Grandma!

 

[NaLisa]

Ugh. The secretaries at the school where I teach threw a "surprise" Grandma shower for our principal when her daughter was pregnant with the first grand baby. It was scheduled as part of a lunch we were having on an inservice day. It was supposed to be a staff meeting from. 9-12, then a 1 hour lunch and done for the day. The shower was held during lunch and no one got done until 3:00.

I had lots of problems with this. First , if I'm lucky enough to have a day off or even a few hours off during the week I make the most of it. Don't force me to stay hours later. Second , the principal had more money than any of us teachers. Her daughter lived 12 hours away by car- she didn't need baby supplies at her house.

Worst of all, I was going through infertility and had just lost a pregnancy. Baby showers were hard under the best circumstances. Being required to go to one at work would be unbearable. The principal was the only staff member that knew what I was going through. She'd never have required me to go but she didn't know about the shower. I actually got the flu the day before the shower and I was relieved.

I'm fine with a few friends doing something nice for a grandma friend but it can definitely go too far.

Sorry to hear about your loss.

While I think the simple, close-friends only, non-obligatory baby celebration for a grandma would be fine, it's situations like yours where things go too far and co-workers are obliged to attend and bring a gift. I wonder how the principal felt about it?

I know I was very embarrassed to be thrown a surprise second-baby shower when I had specifically said I did not need or want one (two girls just 21 months apart, so I already had everything I needed, except more diapers!) I know the hostess meant well, but a simple gathering of family and close friends would have been much more appropriate than a full-blown shower with co-workers. friends' parents, etc.

 

[scrapquitler]

As with all invitations, if you don't like it, then don't go. It's pretty simple.

I think it's nice for the friends of the grandmother to be to celebrate and mark the occasion for her. Becoming a grandmother is a very exciting thing for most women, especially when it's the first grandchild.

To be honest, every since I was very young, when I go to a baby shower, if I know the grandmother to be, I bring a small gift for her. It's something that my mother always did, and it is something that I have always done. Most of the time I bring something like a small picture frame that says "my grandchild" or "Proud grandma" or something of that sort. It usually costs less than 10$ and every grandma has been very excited to have been remembered.

 

[christineann]

I don't have strong feelings about it either way, generally. Two women (sisters) in my former office had baby showers for one's daughter and a son's girlfriend, and then these women did grandmother showers for each other, even though the new mothers and their babies were living with them. I thought that was tacky and declined. I said I was unable to attend due to other plans and didn't say anything else about it to anyone, but apparently others felt the same way.

The grandmother showers I know of are usually given by close friends of the grandmother and are more about the celebration than getting people to buy you gifts, which was not the case with the women in my old office.

 

[sasywtch]

Congrats Grandma!

thanks...counting the days down. At 37 weeks

 

[tennvalgirl]

I don't have strong feelings about it either way, generally. Two women (sisters) in my former office had baby showers for one's daughter and a son's girlfriend, and then these women did grandmother showers for each other, even though the new mothers and their babies were living with them. I thought that was tacky and declined. I said I was unable to attend due to other plans and didn't say anything else about it to anyone, but apparently others felt the same way.

The grandmother showers I know of are usually given by close friends of the grandmother and are more about the celebration than getting people to buy you gifts, which was not the case with the women in my old office.

This.

I work with a woman who has 2 sons and their baby-mamas living with her and she threw a shower for the latest baby born into the house.

Yes, she works but they are all on Government Assistance and have smartphones, etc.

I found it tacky since nobody at work is related to her JMO.

 

[BlovesC]

Honestly, nothing surprise me at this point. Where I live, every pregnant woman has at least two baby showers (and one of my good friends was upset that she HAD only two!) whether its their first, second, third, whatever, child.

I think the grandma baby showers would be a very nice gesture perhaps for women who don't have many, if any, family members (beside their expecting child, of course) but I always feel the same about baby showers and the opposite is what happens. The people who have massive support systems already in place, large families, coworkers, friends, church groups, etc, basically the ones who don't need any extra help are the ones down here that have multiple showers with entire stores worth of gifts.

 

[cluvsdisney]

I never heard of a grandma shower and think it's a little strange to give baby gifts to the grandmother outside of a "here's x y or z I'd like for you to pass along to the parents to be". Have a little 'yay? You're going to be a grandma' lunch with a couple of friends, sure have fun. But to shower the grandma with gifts, no.

 

[disykat]

I posted earlier, but want to add that I'm really looking forward to shopping for and buying my own "grandma supplies." I REALLY would NOT want a shower.

I generally don't like to shop, but this is one thing I'm really looking forward to shopping for.

If anything, I can imagine myself wanting to show my purchases to my girlfriends, not have them bring me gifts!

 

[WebmasterMaryJo]

We didn't have a shower for my coworker's whose daughter was having their first grandbaby, but a few of us took him out to lunch, and gave him gifts for the baby, including a couple of frames that said Baby Loves Grandpa - for work and home. A couple of employees didn't have gifts, and a few of us gave gifts. No one was expected to bring anything since the main objective was to share in his happiness.

 

[Friend of a Mouse]

I think it can be a good idea, particularly if the grandparents are going to be raising the child. I have several students who are in that situation.

Even if that's not the case, if that is what their friends want to do, then who am I to judge? I would never think of it. When the time comes that my husband and I start a family, I would not be offended if either of parents' friends did this for them. It is a sweet (if often unnecessary) gesture.

 

[ols386]

When my dd was pregnant, no one had a grandma shower for me, and I wouldn't have expected it. If others want to do it, that's their business, but I would feel uncomfortable about it.

IMO, a baby shower is for the mother-to-be (and dad-to-be).

 

[MrsJackSparrow4Life]

I don't have an issue with the idea but there are some people I know that I would go to a "grandma" shower for and some people I wouldn't.

Some people need to realize an invitation is not a summons and you can say no...you do not have to go if you do not want to.