Comments on: Women-only Baby Showers: Empowering or Stereotypical?

By: Michelle

Michelle — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 14:04:10 +0000

I’ve attended both. For my last child, I was given three baby showers, one by friends and it was attended by only females, however one by my office that included everyone and the males were just as excited to see every gift and spent time talking about their own excitement with their children. My husband’s job gave him a baby shower as well. I was working and could not attend. There were men and women. I don’t think either scenario is strange. This is a non issue.

By: Dash

Dash — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 21:36:26 +0000

Well, I just have to say…those cupcakes look awesome!

By: Laura M

Laura M — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 17:21:59 +0000

In the ’90′s my girlfriend’s family made baby showers a family affair. It was just like the 4th of July BBQ. Men were included in the games and the gift opening. Did they oohh and aahh….well actually they did. I recall one gift got rave reviews it was a “dirtbiker” sweatsuit with leather elbows and knee patches. It is all about inclusion not exclusion.

By: Christy

Christy — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 13:27:34 +0000

I attended a baby shower a few weeks ago, about 1/3 present were men with one 12 year old boy, proudly winning the baby “bingo” game. Having the men there added to the fun and gave other topics of conversation a hearing as well as the typical baby talk. Sounds like tv and media producers haven’t been keeping up with the times…no surprise there.

By: GB

GB — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 20:39:35 +0000

A baby shower with ‘feminist values’? You’ve got to be kidding.

This blog must have been written by someone who does not have children. Can we stop dissecting every event as though it has some sort of earth-shattering significance for gender equity? And please let us not look to white media as the standard for our culture. Friends? Sheesh! My husband and I have had three children and at least 8 baby showers between us–co-ed, men only and women only.

A man not attending a baby shower does not mean that he will not share in childrearing. Do women do most of the work–of course–men can’t breastfeed, for one thing. Go figure. No men at a baby shower? Why not? If women want to talk about c-sections, leaky nipples and stretch marks-why can’t they? These are subjects that make even some women cringe.

Families have different styles and different needs. Not everything can be measured through a gender lens.

By: Kenya

Kenya — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 18:01:27 +0000

I have been to tons of baby showers where only women were in attendance. I think you are right that it is traditionally assumed that the woman is responsible for raising the child. Just recently I attended 2 baby showers where men were in attendance. They were in the same family that seems to have more equitable arrangements for raising the children based on my observation. In addition, I was invited to a coworker’s party where men were invited as well. Her mother in law didn’t want men there but she did it anyway. Another recent baby shower was called a “diaper party” and it was given specifically for the father to be. I had never heard of this before but there were all men in the basement and the women were upstairs. I think the norm is women only but many people are changing that. I don’t have children but if I do I believe that men will be invited to the baby shower. I have friends that are men and it’s unfair to exclude them from the festivities.