Grandma Showers: Fun New Tradition or Tacky?
Becoming a grandparent is an occasion worth celebrating! And for some grandparents-to-be, that means having a grandma shower. Unsure what a grandma baby shower is? Keep reading to learn all about this budding trend and decide for yourself: Are grandparent showers inappropriate gift grabs—or are they thoughtful get-togethers to honor a special time in a nana-to-be’s life?
What’s the purpose of a grandma shower?
A grandma shower is similar to a regular baby shower, except instead of celebrating the mom-to-be, the guest of honor is grandma-to-be who’s anticipating the arrival of their very first grandchild. If you’re still scratching your head and wondering, Why are baby showers for grandparents a thing?, here are the main reasons folks throw a grandma shower:
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Grandma showers can be practical. Grandma showers help set first-time grandmothers up with baby gear they’ll use when their grandchild is visiting or in their care.
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Grandma showers can help parents-to-be. When grandparents-to-be live too far away to attend the baby shower, a grandma shower can be a way for them—and other relatives—to celebrate together and gather gifts that’ll be sent to the baby.
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Grandma showers are celebratory. A traditional baby shower is a party—and so is a grandma shower! Here, friends of the nana-to-be throw a shower to simply honor their pal’s highly anticipated impending role as Grandma.
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Grandma showers can be informative. Grandma showers are also a great opportunity for grandma-to-be to glean wisdom from those who are already members of the Grandma Club!
What’s the etiquette for a grandma baby shower?
As you might expect, grandma showers are controversial. After all, traditional baby showers are designed to celebrate mom-to-be, so grandma showers definitely have the potential to shift the spotlight and cause tension. That means, when planning a grandma shower, it’s important to tread very lightly—and follow these grandma baby shower etiquette rules.
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DO share the idea with the parents-to-be. While some expecting parents will be 100% on board with their mother or mother-in-law celebrating the arrival of their grandchild with their very own shower…others will not. Both takes are okay! For some parents-to-be, the idea of a grandma shower feels like a spotlight-stealing moment, regardless of the intention—and that might be especially so if gifts are to be given. If you’re pondering a grandma shower, you’ll need to float the idea by the expecting parents first. Afterall, you want to start your role as Grandma on the right foot!
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DON’T host the party! Neither the grandma-to-be nor the expecting parents should throw a grandma shower. Instead, friends or colleagues should be the ones to organize the event.
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DO prioritize the parent-to-be’s shower. If there are no baby shower plans for the prospective parents yet, do not even think about having a grandma shower! If the baby shower is planned, do not schedule the grandma shower at a competing time.
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DON’T double-dip. Folks on the baby shower invite list should not be on the grandma shower invite list, too.
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DO keep it simple. While traditional baby showers are often all-afternoon affairs at a restaurant, a friend’s home, or a banquet hall, grandmother showers should be more low-key. That means, a shorter celebration with only the grandma-to-be’s nearest and dearest friends.
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DON’T create a registry. If gifts-for-parents are part of the plan, be sure to use their baby registry as a gift guide rather than creating a brand-new baby registry for the grandma-to-be.
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DO hammer out the gift question. A grandma shower can simply be a heartfelt way to celebrate this big life change—no gifts required! However, if a grandmother shower is meant to gather gifts for the soon-to-be parents, make sure they’re okay with it. For example, some may feel uncomfortable receiving presents from people they don’t know. Alternatively, if grandparents will be providing childcare—and have limited funds—a grandma shower could be a lovely way to help gather essential items they’ll need, like diapers and a portable crib. (Again, get the official okay first, and know that the parents’ needs are the top priority.)
Grandma Shower Ideas
Here are a few grandma shower ideas to celebrate the nana-to-be:
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Share nana wisdom. Instead of gifts, have each guest write down their very best piece of grandmother advice to the guest of honor. You can also gift books about grandparenting and/or sign nana-to-be up for a grandparenting class. For example, The Pump Station offers Zoom grandparent classes and the Mayo Clinic offers a Grandparenting eClass.
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Toast the grandma-to-be. A casual happy hour, brunch, or afternoon tea to toast the nana-in-waiting is a lovely gift-free way to share the excitement of the impending arrival.
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Lean into the Nana theme. If gifts are in the cards, focus on small grandparent-themed items, like silly “Pass Me To Grandma” bodysuits, Grandma sweatshirts, grandma-and-me matching sets, a Grandmother’s Journal, and more.
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Stock Grandma’s library. Here, guests can bring board books and picture books to either send to the baby-to-be or to store at granny’s home for when the baby visits. (Glean some great book ideas here!)
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Consider a group gift. If the parents-to-be are in need of a big-ticket item and stretched a little thin—as many parents-to-be are!—Nana’s best pals can help by pooling their generosity in the form of a Happiest Baby gift card that can be used toward a new or Pre-Loved SNOO, a SNOO Rental, our award-winning Sleepea swaddles, white noise machines, and more!
You May Also Be Interested In…
- Dr. Harvey Karp on Building Extra-Sweet Bonds With Grandchildren
- 40 Special Names for Grandparents-to-Be
- Creative Ways to Connect with Grandparents From Afar
- How to Set Boundaries With Grandparents
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