Grandmother showers? REALLY?!

[MandalayVA]

So today I get an email from one of my coworkers--my supervisor's daughter is having a baby in July, that all important First Grandchild^TM.  Apparently several women in my department want to throw Future Grandma a shower.  Curious, I Googled, and grandmother showers are apparently a thing, including bringing gifts.

WHAT?! 

[Pooplips]

Insanity.

[mlejw6]

Damn. My mom just became a grandmother. She missed out.

[Ceridwen]

My mom and her circle of friends do this, and the way they do it is actually quite nice IMHO.  They get-together for a potluck lunch to celebrate the new grandmother, and gift her with all of the second-hand things their own grandchildren have outgrown.  It's a nice tradition.

[Drifterrider]

My mom and her circle of friends do this, and the way they do it is actually quite nice IMHO.  They get-together for a potluck lunch to celebrate the new grandmother, and gift her with all of the second-hand things their own grandchildren have outgrown.  It's a nice tradition.

And a nice way to recycle.

[I'm a red panda]

People like to throw parties. This gives them an excuse.

[onlykelsey]

My mom and her circle of friends do this, and the way they do it is actually quite nice IMHO.  They get-together for a potluck lunch to celebrate the new grandmother, and gift her with all of the second-hand things their own grandchildren have outgrown.  It's a nice tradition.

That's actually a cool idea.

[rockstache]

I thought this thread was going to be about taking care of the elderly. Oops.

[MrsPete]

I've heard of such a thing, but I don't think it's a big deal like a baby shower.  Rather, it's more like a prospective grandmother's 2-3 best friends take her out to lunch and give her some cute baby dishes and a couple toys. 

[shelivesthedream]

I thought this thread was going to be about taking care of the elderly. Oops.

Yep. I thought it was about those chairs and handrails you can install for old people who can't stand up to shower. I was wondering how outrageouly antimustachian those could get - like luxury finishes and electric doodads!

[faithless]

My mom and her circle of friends do this, and the way they do it is actually quite nice IMHO.  They get-together for a potluck lunch to celebrate the new grandmother, and gift her with all of the second-hand things their own grandchildren have outgrown.  It's a nice tradition.

I now love the idea!

[Metric Mouse]

I thought this thread was going to be about taking care of the elderly. Oops.

Now I question why I read this thread... There are no elderly in my life, and I would have no need for this information... should I be disappointed it was about parties?

[kimmarg]

So today I get an email from one of my coworkers--my supervisor's daughter is having a baby in July, that all important First Grandchild^TM.  Apparently several women in my department want to throw Future Grandma a shower.  Curious, I Googled, and grandmother showers are apparently a thing, including bringing gifts.

WHAT?!

Wacky. I will say that our daughter (5 months) was the first grandchild on both sides and I was surprised how many gifts we got from friends of our mothers.  Now we certainly didn't solicit them or throw a party, and I wrote a nice thank you note with a photo for each. Maybe it's just grandma's being excited?

[KodeBlue]

My coworkers threw a party for someone when her daughter got married and 18 months later threw another party for birth of first grandchild. Insanity.

[I'm a red panda]

My coworkers threw a party for someone when her daughter got married and 18 months later threw another party for birth of first grandchild. Insanity.

Okay- the party because your kid is getting married is truly bizarre.

At least most grandparents I know have toys and stuff in their house for when the grandkid visits, so I can sort of understand the need for a shower. (My MIL actually has a whole nursery in her house that various grandkids have used.)

But what does someone who's kid is getting married possibly need a party for?

[KodeBlue]

My coworkers threw a party for someone when her daughter got married and 18 months later threw another party for birth of first grandchild. Insanity.

Okay- the party because your kid is getting married is truly bizarre.

At least most grandparents I know have toys and stuff in their house for when the grandkid visits, so I can sort of understand the need for a shower. (My MIL actually has a whole nursery in her house that various grandkids have used.)

But what does someone who's kid is getting married possibly need a party for?

Oh and the clincher...none of us were invited to the wedding.

[rockstache]

I thought this thread was going to be about taking care of the elderly. Oops.

Yep. I thought it was about those chairs and handrails you can install for old people who can't stand up to shower. I was wondering how outrageouly antimustachian those could get - like luxury finishes and electric doodads!

It really just shows me where my head is. We traveled with my grandmother recently and it was SO hard helping her to take a shower in a location not designed for the handicapped, and even just getting from place to place was tough. I was kind of disgusted with the various locations advertised as "wheelchair accessible," that were actually cobblestone, or some other uneven pavement situation. Quite an education on how far we have to go as a society to get compliant.

Sorry for my thread hijack!

[RagingRanter]

My coworkers threw a party for someone when her daughter got married and 18 months later threw another party for birth of first grandchild. Insanity.

I work with quite a few guys (yes, they're always guys) who years ago decided they wanted nothing to do with such silliness, and simply never attend those things. And nobody expects them to, and nobody gives them grief about it. They've just made it clear that it's not negotiable, and don't bug me with it.  I've recently committed to becoming one of those guys. It feels good.

[deadlymonkey]

I have never heard of this, and it is absolutely ridiculous.  I think baby sprinkles (when there is a 2nd or 3rd kid of the same gender) can get a little out of hand, but grandparent showers?  My sister just a had a kid.  How can I be the cool uncle unless I have an uncle shower to get lots of cool gadgets to play with?

[TOgirl]

My MIL did something like this when I was expecting my first child. Well...sort of...in her own way... She waited until baby was born, threw "me" a shower, with all her friends and family and church peeps, passed my newborn around, and tried to keep all the gifts for herself.

[I'm a red panda]

My work is now throwing a shower for a man whose wife is about to have their third child.

The weird part: we didn't throw showers for the two women who just had their second children. (The two who just had first had them, and one who had a third had one from her work-team.)  We also haven't thrown one for the man whose wife had a second, or the guy who had his first kid.  (It has been a banner year for baby's, except mine, at my workplace.)

I am so baffled why this guy is getting a shower from the whole department.

[Papa Mustache]

People like to throw parties. This gives them an excuse.

Some people like to shop and this is another excuse to go shopping. ;)

That's what the holidays have become to me. I like to spend time with friends and family more than I like the stuff that is supposed to get exchanged.

[Papa Mustache]

My mom and her circle of friends do this, and the way they do it is actually quite nice IMHO.  They get-together for a potluck lunch to celebrate the new grandmother, and gift her with all of the second-hand things their own grandchildren have outgrown.  It's a nice tradition.

I now love the idea!

Me too.