A couple of weeks ago, I attended the funnest baby shower of my life. No, it was not my own. Truthfully, my days of being inundated with parties celebrating close friends' first babies are pretty much over. I'm 38 years old, and most of my friends are either done with pregnancies or are having their third or fourth children, none of whom are likely to get more than some hand-me-down onesies and seriously used nursery furniture.
But one of my close friends from high school is about to become a 39-year-old first-time dad, and his siblings threw him and his wife a couples' shower that turned into one superfun party. Like, many-guests-might-not-remember-the-opening-of-baby-gifts kind of fun (granted, the gifts didn't come out until about 11 p.m.). While the evening was, in my mind, a total success, it wasn't what you'd call a traditional shower by any definition of the word. And while I think it was better for it, not every mom-to-be — the real guest of honor at any baby shower, whether her husband is there or not — will agree.
If you're debating whether to turn an upcoming baby shower into a co-ed affair, there are definitely some factors you should consider before sending out invitations. Here are five things to think about before you decide to include the dad, his buddies, and (most likely) a lot of beer.