Traditionally, Baby showers are celebrated exclusively by an all-women circle but as we go along in this modern life, people have been more inclusive and nowadays, men are very much welcome to join the parties, too!
It has been long gone that gender roles have been established and imposed, the years were able to successfully deconstruct these gender roles and we love how we get to celebrate more events with everyone around. In some cases, the male friends or partners are the ones who initiate planning and thinking of ideas on how to celebrate and pull off a successful and fun-filled Baby Shower which their wives or partners and guests really appreciate.
There are also instances wherein an all-men baby shower happens, it is known as the counterpart version of the traditional all-women party and is openly accepted by the society.
Men Baby Showers are modernly known and called as “Man-shower” or “Dad-chelor” wherein either the male invites all of his male friends to welcome his becoming or Fatherhood together with celebrating the life of his precious one or someone hosts the party for him, either way man-shower or dad-chelors have become one of the most celebrated events these days!
New to Man-showers? Here are a number of tips and common etiquettes on how you can plan, prepare and celebrate your first-ever Man-shower!
Be man enough to be thoughtful
Keep in mind that it is a different event from a Bachelor or a Stag party. As a man pal, you are attending to this Man-shower to show support to your dad pal. Make sure to bring dad gifts to help him through the first couple of weeks taking care of his precious one because trust me, it will be endless and pretty exhausting. If women have a Mommy Survival Kit, you too, can adopt it into a Daddy Survival Kit!
A Daddy Survival Kit can come with two concepts, it could be a duty kit or a care kit. A duty kit usually consists of baby essentials like baby diapers, baby towels and a few of Daddy’s favorite snacks while the care kit is mainly for Daddy, it can come with all his favorite snacks, energy drinks or his favorite book or reading magazine, anything that will give your dad pal comfort during his so-called night watch or duty can be put inside the care kit.
More item suggestions to fill the kit are as follows:
- Coffee and coffee mug
- Rubber Gloves
- Clothespins
- Air Freshener
- Condoms
- Bottle of whiskey
- Earplugs
- A funny T-shirt
- Hand sanitizer
- Pump
- Band aids
- Ibuprofen
- Exercise ball
- Pre-cooked Meal
- Pacifier
- Fruits and juices
- Chocolates or sweets
Feel free to make it more fun by leaving notes or labeling the kits with below ideas:
“Who has time to cook? Certainly not you. Now eat up.”
“Think you have a nanosecond to go to the washroom and wash your hands? Stop dreaming, use these sanitizers instead.”
“Does the stink bomb exploded? Here’s an air freshener to keep you sane.”
“Changing diapers is now your crime scene, try not to tamper with the evidences and use these rubber gloves for your own safety!”
Have fun and celebrate in a “gentle man manner”
It is a party anyways! And parties do not happen without games. Only this time, the games should help your dad pal realize and be ready that he is actually a father now. Some game ideas from a man named Hudson, who is known to love putting up man-showers are “Who can do the Dishes the fastest?”, “Who can Make a Toddler lunch Quicker?”, Fastest Nappy Change, etc.
Time-restricted games are much loved by men as they can still impose their agility, strength and creativity!
Still a good time for Booze!
A moderate amount of your man circle’s favorite alcoholic drink won’t hurt. It is definitely fine to incorporate these drinks in some of your games. One game idea that is very common and loved by many is the baby bottle chugging game wherein a strong alcohol is placed inside the baby bottles and all the participants will chug it non-stop, who finishes first will be declared as the winner.
A more mild alternative would be mixed drinks, kombucha and punch juices. These are the safe options if you wish the celebration to last without one of your friends ending up drunk and sleeping.
More games!
As one of the most fave man-shower games, the Fastest Nappy Change challenge soon came with a twist. In reality, the need to change the baby’s nappy happens in the middle of the night when the neighborhood is at its most quiet and all the lights are off, thus, this challenge requires all men participants to do the nappy change with a blindfold. Whoever finishes the nappy change fastest with the most accurate nappy change result will be declared as the winner.
Another game idea is the Stroller Race, this game will require a spacious backyard and props such as dolls and strollers. The host can level up the challenge by adding obstacles on the route of the stroller such as small humps. Whoever reaches the finish line first, of course, without dropping or harming the imaginary live babies as represented by the baby dolls inside, will be declared as the winner.
Travel for the last time
“For the last time” literally means the last time that your dad pal is free to go out of the town without the paternal thoughts of leaving his precious baby. While waiting for the precious one’s arrival, invite your circle to plan and do a quick backpacking before your dad pal’s free time becomes an endless journey of sleepless nights and nappy change.
But be more extra cautious and make sure to bring your dad pal back home alive and without a single scratch because this time, he will not only go home to his wife or partner but rather, he will go home to his kid/s too!
Now that you are all geared up with the ideas and proper etiquette on how to plan a Man-shower, how about hosting and pulling off a more formal party? What are the specifics in planning a more formal man-shower? Is it safe to assume that everyone is actually free to join and attend? Is a one day notice enough? Does offering the usual chips and drinks suffice to enjoy the party and fill up the guests?
To make your very first formal man-shower seamless, you have to take note of the suggested timeline and the following items that will guide you in planning:
| Suggested Timeline | To-do List |
| Seven weeks in advance | Set a date and timePrepare a guest listChoose a locationConnect with a Caterer (optional)Think of the vent themeMake the invitations |
| Five weeks in advance | Send or mail the invitationsPlan the menu to be offered |
| Three weeks in advance | Buy the decorationsBuy a gift for your dad palBuy things needed for the games such as props, prizes or party favors |
| Two weeks in advance | If a caterer was in place, confirm reservations and the status of the catering preparationsReserve any rental equipment needed |
| One week in advance | Finalize the guest list through RSVPsDelegate tasks to your team or friends to ensure that the man-shower will run smoothly (assign who is going to take the photos, keep track of the gifts, be the game master, etc.) |
| Two days prior to the Man-shower | Shop for food based on your menu, if event is without a catering serviceInclude non-perishable food items or snacks to your grocery list to keep your guests entertained and filled.Set up the final touches of the decorations |
| One day left before the Man-shower | Prepare the perishable food items, if event is without a catering service, and make sure to store them in a place that is safe and will keep them fresh to avoid wastage or spoilageClean and do the setup |
| The morning of the Man-shower | Do the finishing touches on the decorationsRemind the guests on the time of the partyDisplay the food and beveragesIf the event is with a catering service, make sure that the menu is completely delivered and displayed. |
Going to Baby Showers 2022
All set! Now you can try planning a Man-shower to surprise your dad pal!
Preparations like this should not cause you all stressed out as long as you follow the easy tips and guide discussed earlier. In addition, be more open and consider seeking support and help from other people to make the planning more easy, especially if you think that you will be needing an extra hand in preparing stuff.
Remember, the goal is to have fun and celebrate in advance the Fatherhood which your dad pal will soon be embracing. Let him feel the excitement and uncertainties all at once but most importantly, let him feel and acknowledge that he has a support system to come to when things get messy and exhausting.
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