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Baby Shower Q&A:
Co-worker Showers
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Q:
What is the best way to throw a work shower?

A:
Having a potluck shower for a work shower right in the workplace is one of the best ways to go about having a great work shower.  In my old job, employees had two lunch times over the course of two hours.  When I had my second child, we had a potluck shower where everyone who had the first lunch came, ate, shared stories, gave their gifts and then went back to work so that the second lunch could come up and repeat the process.  When you have the shower at work, you don’t have to worry about the time it takes to commute to the party and people can relax on their lunch while they enjoy good food that everyone brought.

Q:
Where should I host a work shower?

A:
I find having the work shower right in the place of work is the best way to have a shower and it allows everyone to come to it regardless of the length of their lunch. For more information on planning a co-worker theme baby shower and guestlist Q&A related to co-worker showers.

Q:
My company is having a baby shower for me at work but I am worried about going and being questioned about when I will be coming back.  Is there a way that I can avoid shop talk at the shower?

A:
There really is no way to stop your employer from talking shop or any of your co-workers for that matter.  I have found that work showers tend to be just a relaxed event where people talk and unfortunately, work will pop into the equation since it is a topic that everyone has in common.   If you want to avoid that dreaded, “So when are you coming back” question, I would suggest immersing yourself into the other conversations and crowds.  Usually, those questions will come up if you get cornered into a one on one conversation with your boss so try to avoid that.  Hopefully, your employer will be able to contain him or herself long enough to get through the shower but if not, just answer him or her with whatever answer you gave your employer when you started your maternity leave.  Remember to stay firm with your decision no matter how much guilt you feel.

Q:
We are planning a party for the director of a store (and  her husband) that is staffed by volunteers, and think we need to  make it an open invitation to all of them (perhaps a 100); mostly  women. It'd be a HUGE group- any suggestions? we are thinking a pot  luck would be fun, but when it comes to games and a theme, it seems  over whelming. Any ideas?

A:
100 people can seem to be a lot but it is not uncommon for people to have upwards of 70+ people at a shower so don't feel too overwhelmed just yet.  I would recommend that you do a very simple theme, nothing too extravagant and that you set up a group of people to organize it.

A pot luck is a wonderful idea for a co-worker style shower and it is something that most businesses do.  Instead of just asking people to bring something, either assign a dish or ask people to email you with what they are bringing. This way you can make sure that you don't end up with 30 desserts and no main dishes.

In regards to games, I would keep them very simple.  Try doing games where there are teams competing instead of groups and also games that can run throughout the shower.  Baby shower pin works perfectly for this and you don't need to do much for it except hand out the pins and then count the person who has the most pins.

Another great idea is to have a scavenger hunt along the way to the baby shower.  In the invitation, tell people to look for things that are centered around the mom-to-be.  If she is a pen addict, you know the ones that always make off with pens, set up a few little stashes of pens and notepads in the coat room, at the door, or by the present drop.  Let people know beforehand that they have to find a pen and a small notepad on their way in for a treasure hunt.  Have one or two pens that write in a different color and then the people who found those pens wins the treasure hunt.  The added bonus with this is that all your guests will have a pen and notepad and you can start a written game such as Nursery Rhymes Memory game.

If you would like more information on hosting a baby shower, I would recommend reading our 8-step Guide to the Perfect Shower and our Good Hostess's Guide to Surviving a Shower.

Lastly, read our theme on a co-worker shower, but before you do anything else, just remember that keeping the decorations simple, the games simpler and the work shared will make it much easier to host a shower with 100 women.

Do you have a baby shower question that we have not covered?