At my workplace, it seems like it’s par for the course to throw the pregnant coworker a baby shower. We’re having a shower/party tomorrow for a coworker of mine.
It occurred to me that if one of the guys I work with was expecting a baby, we wouldn’t think to throw him a party.
What does your workplace do?
(As usual, I was tasked with organizing this party. Because I’m a woman, and office parties are considered “women’s” work. Maybe one day I’ll ask if one of the guys can do it, 'cuz I’m kinda tired of the job.)
Not a shower, per se, but my workmates got together and pitched in for some gifts for my first child 17 years ago. I don’t think anything was done for my son 17 months later, but I had moved to a new group and didn’t have a traditional Administrative Assistant who, you’re correct, typically are female and organize these sorts of things.
I think for my daughter we got a jolly jumper, and things like baby powder, diapers, wash cloths, Vaseline, etc.
I got one. It was a very nice surprise. I can’t remember many other male baby showers though. This was back in 2003 at a huge pharmaceutical and we had parties for anything.
I got home from work that evening, set the bags of baby stuff down, my wife said it’s time and off we went to the hospital.
I wouldn’t call it a baby shower, but for either expectant mothers and fathers in our office, we send a card around and collect money for a gift. Then there’s cake for everyone. Small office, mostly older people, but three of these events in the last couple of years and one about to happen soonish.
We throw work showers for expecting parents. When I was pregnant my male coworkers wife was also pregnant and due about 2 weeks before I was. The team threw us a joint shower and included our spouses.
Having served several times on the committees that plan such parties (baby showers, wedding showers, retirements) I can speak to this one point, in every workplace we’ve had some “official guidelines” for the parties, and without fail in every building it’s always been “You get a shower for your first child, but not your subsequent children”. The same went for weddings, too.
I have been to a few. It’s actually kind of nice. Gifts, lunch, cake, without all the cutie patootie oohs and aahs and taking pictures and related ridiculousnes over every single gift. The guys appreciated that they were the center of attention, too.
We threw an informal and beer-themed “papa party” (something like that) for my male buddy (32yo) at work. I didn’t organize it but it was, in effect, a baby shower. It was off-site and though not sponsored by the office, all the folks from work were invited. I don’t know that we’d do it for his second child. Then again, we might in-accordance with the “any reason for a party” paradigm.
You were out sick yesterday so we got you a get-well cake. It’s carrot. It’s good for you. Get well, get well soon We wish you to get well–
Stop it! That’s not even a song. I mean, now we’re celebrating a sick day?!*
Anyhoo, we don’t have many male coworkers or many of baby-making age, so I instigated celebrating both babies our one male co-worker expected, two years apart. They were both of about the same magnitude of celebration, not funded by our employer, so there is no official policy.
We don’t have serious parties at my workplace, but any employee having their first kid will probably rate a gathering with cupcakes & baby presents. We’re generally told where the parents are registered, although participation is optional. No games & party favors–also no ladies reminiscing about how many hours they were in labor & just how many stitches they required. (Praise be.) More than half my co-workers are female.
A few years back in a different subdivision, some ladies got a little shindig together for a very helpful IT guy having his first kid. He was somewhat surprised…
Almost all workplaces I worked in would celebrate fathers as well as mothers - a morning tea and a gift mostly. If there was any less fanfare it was because the mums were about to go away on 12 months mat leave, while the guys would be back in 2 weeks - seems reasonable.
A male buddy of mine was expecting an addition to the household 18 months ago. A female friend of his organized a “diaper party” for him. It was basically a beer party where everyone brought a bomber bottle of high end beer to share, along with diapers.
I has never before heard of a diaper party, but the woman who planned it said they were common where she grew up.
I’m male. I work in a field (healthcare) that’s overwhelmingly female, at least in my specialty. All 10-12 of my employees, and probably 50 of the 60 non-doctor employees, are female.
My workplace would, and has, have a baby shower for a male employee whose wife was expecting.
