Entertaining Ideas
Dear Community,
Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
If you have questions about this, please email help@theknot.com.
Thank you.
Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
If you have questions about this, please email help@theknot.com.
Thank you.
Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
Grandma Shower Ideas
i am planning a surprise "Grandma Shower" for my mother-in-law as i am expecting her first grandchild.
were going to tell her its my baby shower then when she arrives, she will be most surprised to find the party is to celebrate her!
so i want to do some goofy games like at Baby showers, but want to put a "grandma" twist on them,
any ideas for games or other stuff?
also what gifts would you think of to give a new grandma?
TIA!
10-10 siggy favorite summer picture
http://hiscb.blogspot.com/
http://hiscb.blogspot.com/
Re: Grandma Shower Ideas
Really? There are showers for grandmas now, where people give them gifts because their offspring are reproducing? I can't even picture this.
I can see how you could take her out to a nice lunch or something to celebrate, but an actual shower? I wouldn't even know where to begin.
I'm not wholly against this but I'd think about whether to call it a shower. You and I know that involved grandmas need lots of stuff and I'm sure you and she are super excited about the first grandchild...but, people get squicky about showers that are perceived to be gift grabs and this may be considered one.
There's a way around it which involves you writing heartfelt and sincere invitations/emails. Explain how excited you are, how you want to honor her and you want to throw her a little party. No mention of shower and no mentioned of gifts. If people bring them (I probably would, or I would at least call you to see if I should) set the gifts aside at the party, no opening.
If, at this party, you want to play games, the only game I can think of is to give everyone 3 minutes to write down all the names a child might choose for "Grandma" (Nana, Granny, Grams, etc). After the 3 minutes, have them share--1 point for each answer, 2 points if no other guest has that answer.
Our Share of the Harvest:How a couple cooks from a CSA share. Pick Up Day Week 15
yeah it was wonderful when my aunts did one for my mom when my brother's wife was expecting 16 years ago. no one had ever heard of it before and i havent heard of it since.
im super happy to be having her grandchild and she is such an amazing woman, mother, and mother-in-law she deserves to have some attention on her.
I have heard (on here and TK, mostly) that some people view showers as a "shower of gifts" but in our area/circles that just isnt the case, its an opportunity to shower the person with love and attention to celebrate the important event in their life. Not much different from a graduation party or housewarming, its not about the gifts. People will bring gifts if they want, but im not trying to shower her with items, just celebration.
Because, historically and traditionally, that's exactly what they are.
There's something that isn't sitting right about this. Maybe it's because you are throwing it? I know you say this is for your mom, but it's still you throwing a party to get gifts for your child. And yes, a shower is a party to shower the honoree with gifts. It's not a nest or knot thing, it's a culture thing.
I'd be okay if it wasn't called a shower or maybe if someone else was throwing it. I have to imagine if my mom and her friends got an invite like this they would all be whispering about it.
this is for my mother-in-law, at my mom's grandma shower, the gifts werent for the baby, they were for her, photo albums, cookie cutters, ice cream sundae kit etc, to celebrate her. and they werent hardly the main focus of the party,
i have never seen showers as gift grabs, and thats not how theyre treated in my family. apparently the rest of the world has that negative attitude toward them though.
so does anyone have any ideas about games to play? or other ways to pull the "grandma" into the theme?
This was not my impression at all. I see why she *might* need burp cloths and a bumbo (if she is helping with daycare, for example). I do not see why she needs cookie cutters or ice cream sundaes. If YOU want to honor her, take her out to lunch and buy her something nice. If you want to have a party and hope people bring her baby stuff, have a party. But to have a party and expect personal gifts just 'cause she's a grandma--I don't get it.
Maybe you like an old poster around here who used to insist that WEDDING showers were for celebrating the wedding and you give brides blenders and tea towels and pillowcases while a BRIDAL shower was for celebrating the girl and you give her sweaters and earrings and Starbucks gifts cards. If that is the case, you and she are the only people I've ever "known" to think these types of parties exist.
Our Share of the Harvest:How a couple cooks from a CSA share. Pick Up Day Week 15
I have never heard of a grandma shower before. Did you throw her a mother in law shower when you got married and she became a mother in law?
I don't get it.
I can't even think of a game to suggest. It's too weird.
If the gifts are for the baby, you should not be hosting this shower. If the gifts aren't baby-related, then I don't see why there should be gifts involved at all. She gets random personal gifts because her son and daughter-in-law procreated? How is that a gift-giving occasion? Or a reason to throw a party in her honor?
If you want to celebrate your MIL and what a wonderful grandma she'll be, I would just take her out for a nice dinner. Or make a really big deal out of her birthday this year.
Mr. Sammy Dog
Mother/MIL same difference. An ice cream sunday kit? Really? How would anyone possibly think of that except you?
You aren't getting answers to the bold because people don't think it's a good idea.
I think it's really sweet that you love your MIL so much. I'm not sure about a grandma shower. I've never heard of this and it does seem strange. Maybe instead of presents for grandma you could let people know that she will need some gently used baby items for when she is babysitting?
If it were me, I would invite everyone over for a dinner party, with MIL as the guest of honor. Maybe you could do potluck, if money is an issue? I would then make a big deal about grandma there. I might say a little speech about how much she means to you, how lucky your baby will be to have such a wonderful person as a grandmother, ect. You could make up little menu cards and put a line at the top saying that grandma is the guest of honor. Seat her at the head of the table with some baby themed decorations.
A shower does imply that they should bring a gift. In this economy, people might be a little annoyed at the thought of having to buy the baby, you, and your MIL gifts. Maybe you could tell people that you are looking for handmedowns or something to cut costs. Or better yet don't call it a shower.
Here's a link to a wepage all about grandma showers. So you must not be the only one... I like the Guess Who? Baby picture game they suggest. Sounds like it would be good for some laughs. I would stay away from anything that might imply that she is old. You don't wanna hurt her feelings.
Good luck & Congrats on your baby!
http://products.party411.com/PlanYourParty/Occasion/BabyShower/GrandmasFirstGrandbaby/tabid/5646/List/0/CategoryID/4222/Level/a/Default.aspx
This is weird. If this were that normal in your circle, I don't think you'd have to ask these questions.
Take her to an OB appointment and out to lunch or something.
ETA - This is horrendous - http://www.grandparents.com/gp/content/expert-advice/new-grandparents/article/ababyshowerforgrandma.html
Don't buy into the hype of an event created by attention whores and companies that benefit financially from newly made up holidays and events.
I think these "Grandbaby Showers" have the potential to be horrendous but I'm perfectly fine with the ones described in the article. They describe a bunch of old ladies getting together to celebrate one of their friends becoming a grandma. It sounds like the same sort of get-togethers and bonding that my close friends and I do. They mention giving hand-me-downs and small gifts like towels. They pooled together to get her a video camera. From friends to a friend, I think this is sweet. I think this quote from the article describes why I think it's ok:
Our Share of the Harvest:How a couple cooks from a CSA share. Pick Up Day Week 15
I foresee lots of bump posts that start with, "OMG - MIL is a grandma-zilla, she had a shower for HERSELF and I wasn't even THERE!"
I think anytime you call it a Grandmother Shower, it's weird. Some less than others, but still weird. It's a nice thought to get granny a new camera, a scrap book, etc. but this trend needs to stop.
I have heard of these, and they are typically hosted by the new grandmother-to-be's circle of friends, NOT the mom-to-be. If you host the party, it comes across as extremely gift grabby, no matter how you look at it.
If you still insist on celebrating her (which, let's face it, it's really a celebration of you), I would throw a nice country club luncheon and state no gifts on the invites.