A woman I know sent out invitations to her daughter's baby shower and the gift list included a spa day voucher, for the mum to use after the birth, and some very expensive nursery equipment, nothing was under £200. I was gobsmacked when I saw it.
Crumbs. When DID people get so disgustingly greedy anyway? Some of the stuff I see people ask for for wedding gifts (including outright asking for money) has me going in recent years. I've wondered about this for a while now.
It's a bit like prom nights - something I personally find bizarre and utterly alien, but remarkably popular amongst today's youth, who take cultural references from the US.
I grew up in the age of the humble school disco, so prom nights are bizarre and alien to me too. Again, the amount of money people spend on these is disgusting and baffling. I just don't understand it.
Why do we always have to copy the Americans and the things they do? Our weddings are becoming more and more Americanised now. For instance the bridesmaids walking up the isle before the bride and her father, all the main male guests having to dress the same, giving little presents for all the guests to take home and sending out "save the date" cards.
I didn't think the bridesmaids coming up the aisle first was an American thing, it's been done in Ireland for years.
I didn't realise it had always been done in Ireland, so perhaps it originally came from there as so many Irish people went out to America. However, it was always done with the bride and her father first and then the bridesmaids and pageboys behind her in the U.K.
Like others have said, people just seem so greedy these days. It's a sad reflection on society.
I was invited to one but didnt go because its not my idea of fun!
From the pictures it looked like the mum to be sat round opening loads of presents then there was a ridiculously ott baby shower cake (bigger and fancier than her wedding cake!) and party games.
I dare say had she not had it and invited everyone she knew then she wouldnt have gotten as many baby presents, but im just cynical!
Shes having a christening in a few months and im not going to that either so no doubt she will be off with me for a while!
I dont see how baby showers are fun but id much rather support one of those than a christening in this case. Neither parent is religious and never go to church (except for their wedding) so i dont agree with them choosing a religion for a baby who doesnt have a say. I dont mind in the cases where the parents are religious and go to church but this is just another opportunity for pretty pictures in a church to them.
Never been to one and I don't think I would go to one either. They sound like my idea of hell. I'd sooner eat live bees washed down with sulphuric acid.
It seems like we're all becoming addicted to continuous celebrating and opportunities to say "Look At Me!!" these days and, yes, I do think it's a mindset that's been imported from across the Atlantic.
It starts off on New Year's Eve, with every town and city in the country wasting money trying to outdo eachother with fireworks etc.
Then it's Valentine's Day, where a card simply won't suffice these days.
Next comes Easter, when you're expected to buy chocolate eggs for everyone in your family, even adults, and cards ffs..Easter cards!
Then in the summer we have endless noisy barbecues with large groups of people getting pissed in their gardens till after sunset.
Holloween, which used to be a quiet, reflective, spiritual affair in the UK with a bit of apple bobbing and a ghost story..now look at it! yet another excuse for adults to get pissed and spend way too much money.
Then Christmas, of course. The granddaddy of all gaudy, decadent, money-wasting festivals.
An opportunity to shout "look at all the electricity-eating lights on my house.I know how to celebrate better than you do because I'm shoving my celebrations in everyones' face"
I was invited to one but didnt go because its not my idea of fun!
From the pictures it looked like the mum to be sat round opening loads of presents then there was a ridiculously ott baby shower cake (bigger and fancier than her wedding cake!) and party games.
I dare say had she not had it and invited everyone she knew then she wouldnt have gotten as many baby presents, but im just cynical!
Shes having a christening in a few months and im not going to that either so no doubt she will be off with me for a while!
I dont see how baby showers are fun but id much rather support one of those than a christening in this case. Neither parent is religious and never go to church (except for their wedding) so i dont agree with them choosing a religion for a baby who doesnt have a say. I dont mind in the cases where the parents are religious and go to church but this is just another opportunity for pretty pictures in a church to them.
I've been to a new "naming ceremonies", which are non-religious christenings. I don't mind them because a/ you actually MEET the baby, b/ it's an introduction of the baby to family & friends and c/ there's always free grub ;-) It's a more genuine social, proper event than a bloody baby shower.
Apparently another custom creeping into England is 'Gender Parties'. The guests are all invited, the parents cut into a cake, and the inside is either blue or pink revealing the sex of the unborn baby to an audience who are no doubt holding their breath with anticipation. Sounds totally daft to me.
It seems like we're all becoming addicted to continuous celebrating and opportunities to say "Look At Me!!" these days and, yes, I do think it's a mindset that's been imported from across the Atlantic.
It starts off on New Year's Eve, with every town and city in the country wasting money trying to outdo eachother with fireworks etc.
Then it's Valentine's Day, where a card simply won't suffice these days.
Next comes Easter, when you're expected to buy chocolate eggs for everyone in your family, even adults, and cards ffs..Easter cards!
Then in the summer we have endless noisy barbecues with large groups of people getting pissed in their gardens till after sunset.
Holloween, which used to be a quiet, reflective, spiritual affair in the UK with a bit of apple bobbing and a ghost story..now look at it! yet another excuse for adults to get pissed and spend way too much money.
Then Christmas, of course. The granddaddy of all gaudy, decadent, money-wasting festivals.
An opportunity to shout "look at all the electricity-eating lights on my house.I know how to celebrate better than you do because I'm shoving my celebrations in everyones' face"
Rant over.
You forgot kids' birthday parties as well. Jelly and ice cream and musical chairs is no longer enough. Now it has to be magicians and face painting and special venues and drinks and bites for the parents when they come to collect the children.
Woah woah woah woah. Eating chocolates from a nappy :o Really!!?
What is wrong with these people!?
It's yet another Americanised commercially driven load of guff where like minded mothers/ mothers to be can get yet another opportunity to gush over the most minute of baby related stuff, and bore anyone else to death with news of what their own little darlings have been getting up to.
As someone else said, it's pretty much yet another 'look at me, look at me' type thing, and I am glad I am a man and don't get invites to these things.
I didn't think the bridesmaids coming up the aisle first was an American thing, it's been done in Ireland for years.
I'm from Ireland and when I was a child the bride always walked up the aisle first. It's only recently that some weddings now have the bridesmaids go first.
You forgot kids' birthday parties as well. Jelly and ice cream and musical chairs is no longer enough. Now it has to be magicians and face painting and special venues and drinks and bites for the parents when they come to collect the children.
Yep, and I'm sure there are many other indulgent "look at me and mine" opportunities I've forgotten.
There must be, as we all seem to be on a continuous merry-go-round of costly pissing contests.
Never known anyone with a baby shower. My niece recently had a baby and we just went with a bag of gifts.
The wedding list I've not seen either.
Proms. Well my daughter had one but my 2 older sons didn't so was more recent at the local school(she was 16 at the time and 18 now)
Was years since my kids were at a kids birthday party but they had pass the parcel and such and know of one family that took a group of their daughter's friends to a theme park for the day
You forgot kids' birthday parties as well. Jelly and ice cream and musical chairs is no longer enough. Now it has to be magicians and face painting and special venues and drinks and bites for the parents when they come to collect the children.
Yep, and I'm sure there are many other indulgent "look at me and mine" opportunities I've forgotten.
There must be, as we all seem to be on a continuous merry-go-round of costly pissing contests.
They're much better now. Seeing as I'm going to have to go to these things I'd much rather go to a GOOD one. Stuff the jelly and musical chairs I want balloon dogs and a bouncy castle-and that's just for me!
They're much better now. Seeing as I'm going to have to go to these things I'd much rather go to a GOOD one.
When I was a child your parents just dropped you off and came to collect you. They didn't hang around for the party - unless they were a friend of the family helping out.
My DIL had one thrown for her by her friends in Barbados where she lives. It was a surprise and her mum , myself and her UK friends joined on FaceTime . The baby was there and it was lovely, a real celebration of his birth. He was a very welcome IVF birth and I see nothing wrong with shower parties. Why go if its such a hardship? To go to a friend/relations baby party then bad mouth it says more about you TBH.
I've had the misfortune of seeing "Nappy Cakes" pop up on my Facebook feed - they appear to be a pile of nappies in the form of a cake. Thank god my two were born in the nineties when none of this madness existed.
My DIL had one thrown for her by her friends in Barbados where she lives. It was a surprise and her mum , myself and her UK friends joined on FaceTime . The baby was there and it was lovely, a real celebration of his birth. He was a very welcome IVF birth and I see nothing wrong with shower parties. Why go if its such a hardship? To go to a friend/relations baby party then bad mouth it says more about you TBH.
That's not what the OP was talking about. A shower is normally held before the baby is born and guests are often expected to also buy another present when the baby arrives.
Showers can be held both before and after the birth. Sentiment stands, why go then moan about it afterwards incidentally my DIL s was arranged by her friend who is an American.
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Crumbs. When DID people get so disgustingly greedy anyway? Some of the stuff I see people ask for for wedding gifts (including outright asking for money) has me going
I grew up in the age of the humble school disco, so prom nights are bizarre and alien to me too. Again, the amount of money people spend on these is disgusting and baffling. I just don't understand it.
Because they watch too much tv!
Favours are not American.
I didn't realise it had always been done in Ireland, so perhaps it originally came from there as so many Irish people went out to America. However, it was always done with the bride and her father first and then the bridesmaids and pageboys behind her in the U.K.
Like others have said, people just seem so greedy these days. It's a sad reflection on society.
From the pictures it looked like the mum to be sat round opening loads of presents then there was a ridiculously ott baby shower cake (bigger and fancier than her wedding cake!) and party games.
I dare say had she not had it and invited everyone she knew then she wouldnt have gotten as many baby presents, but im just cynical!
Shes having a christening in a few months and im not going to that either so no doubt she will be off with me for a while!
I dont see how baby showers are fun but id much rather support one of those than a christening in this case. Neither parent is religious and never go to church (except for their wedding) so i dont agree with them choosing a religion for a baby who doesnt have a say. I dont mind in the cases where the parents are religious and go to church but this is just another opportunity for pretty pictures in a church to them.
I like buying gifts for babies though but I do the sensible thing and wait until it's arrived safely.
It starts off on New Year's Eve, with every town and city in the country wasting money trying to outdo eachother with fireworks etc.
Then it's Valentine's Day, where a card simply won't suffice these days.
Next comes Easter, when you're expected to buy chocolate eggs for everyone in your family, even adults, and cards ffs..Easter cards!
Then in the summer we have endless noisy barbecues with large groups of people getting pissed in their gardens till after sunset.
Holloween, which used to be a quiet, reflective, spiritual affair in the UK with a bit of apple bobbing and a ghost story..now look at it! yet another excuse for adults to get pissed and spend way too much money.
Then Christmas, of course. The granddaddy of all gaudy, decadent, money-wasting festivals.
An opportunity to shout "look at all the electricity-eating lights on my house.I know how to celebrate better than you do because I'm shoving my celebrations in everyones' face"
Rant over.
I've been to a new "naming ceremonies", which are non-religious christenings. I don't mind them because a/ you actually MEET the baby, b/ it's an introduction of the baby to family & friends and c/ there's always free grub ;-) It's a more genuine social, proper event than a bloody baby shower.
You forgot kids' birthday parties as well. Jelly and ice cream and musical chairs is no longer enough. Now it has to be magicians and face painting and special venues and drinks and bites for the parents when they come to collect the children.
What is wrong with these people!?
It's yet another Americanised commercially driven load of guff where like minded mothers/ mothers to be can get yet another opportunity to gush over the most minute of baby related stuff, and bore anyone else to death with news of what their own little darlings have been getting up to.
As someone else said, it's pretty much yet another 'look at me, look at me' type thing, and I am glad I am a man and don't get invites to these things.
I'm from Ireland and when I was a child the bride always walked up the aisle first. It's only recently that some weddings now have the bridesmaids go first.
Yep, and I'm sure there are many other indulgent "look at me and mine" opportunities I've forgotten.
There must be, as we all seem to be on a continuous merry-go-round of costly pissing contests.
The wedding list I've not seen either.
Proms. Well my daughter had one but my 2 older sons didn't so was more recent at the local school(she was 16 at the time and 18 now)
Was years since my kids were at a kids birthday party but they had pass the parcel and such and know of one family that took a group of their daughter's friends to a theme park for the day
They're much better now. Seeing as I'm going to have to go to these things I'd much rather go to a GOOD one. Stuff the jelly and musical chairs I want balloon dogs and a bouncy castle-and that's just for me!
When I was a child your parents just dropped you off and came to collect you. They didn't hang around for the party - unless they were a friend of the family helping out.
That's not what the OP was talking about. A shower is normally held before the baby is born and guests are often expected to also buy another present when the baby arrives.