A Baby Shower for Dad

Hi, you have A Way with Words.

Hey, this is Sherat. I’m calling from Austin, Texas.

Welcome to the show. How are you doing?

I’m doing great. So I’m a long-time listener, and this is my first time calling into the show.

So the other day, my friend Patrick and Lara, they’re having a kid.

So we threw a baby shower for Lara.

When I was doing that, I was talking to Patrick, and I was like, how’s he celebrating, you know, the arrival of a new kid in his life, you know, they’re having a kid.

So we were like, is there an equivalent for like men who are like having kids, you know, an equivalent like baby shower-esque kind of word to celebrate?

We were like going to go camping and, you know, like smoke some cigars and stuff like that.

Yeah.

So we didn’t quite know like if there’s a word for like a male equivalent for a baby shower.

I mean, it’s not like he’s getting married and, you know, it’s like a bachelor party, right?

Right.

So I was just curious, and I did some, like, Googling, and I couldn’t quite figure it out, so I was just, like, letting me call in.

Were there only women at the shower for Laura?

No, actually, my friend Patrick was there.

Okay, so the shower was—

And, you know.

So the baby shower was for him also, but it was probably very feminine. They tend to be, don’t they?

Yeah, I mean, you know, there were, like, games and, you know, with, like, diapers.

They had to make, like, a castle or something. I don’t know.

Right.

Like, I was just cooking. I was just cooking food, and I was, like, serving everybody, so—

Well, diapers are for real men, too.

Yeah, I was going to say, the women give each other diapers and the men go camping and smoke cigars.

Yeah, that would be fun, right?

There’s a couple of words that have been tossed around in a number of articles about this.

They’re all kind of meh, but I’ll share them with you if you’re interested.

Man shower was one I heard, which sounds like, for some people, the idea of a really good time.

I don’t know.

Suggested as something erotic.

Yeah, I don’t like that word, though.

Too simple.

Too simple?

Well, there’s one that’s really complicated, which I think is a terrible blend of words.

It’s dad-chiller party.

So it’s bachelor party with dad at the beginning.

Dad-chiller party.

It’s terrible to read and terrible to say and not a good word at all.

Okay.

Do you have one?

No, I mean, I’d like to imagine there’s like some funny, like, you know, like some funny word with like play on like some dad-esque kind of thing.

I don’t know.

I mean, I know you don’t like dad chiller, but I think it sounds funny.

You like it just because it’s goofy.

I like dad chiller because it sounds funny, but probably not a very good word in terms of origins and stuff.

Dad chiller party.

So I want to get a clear picture.

If you’re having one of those, it’s a bunch of guys, and are there presents involved?

They’re celebrating the arrival of a baby, right?

Yes.

What happens there?

He just wants to have one last hurrah kind of deal with just the guys.

Being a single man without a kid, you know.

I see.

Okay, so a celebration of bro time rather than getting the useful things that it will take to do the day-to-day care of the baby.

Is this what we’re saying here?

Because he’s not going to be unwrapping nappy warmers out there in the camping site, right?

I don’t think so.

No, no, no.

For putting together a stroller or something?

Although I think that’d be hilarious if you guys do go out to camp.

You should do that.

You should bring all of the babies, tons of cool baby stuff.

Oh, yeah.

Who doesn’t like the open baby stuff?

It’s all tiny and cute.

Yeah, and play those goofy games, all the goofy baby games.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

I mean, yeah, that could be fun.

Like, it could just be like, you know, we could be teasing him,

And we could just play, like, baby games and be like,

This is what you have to do, so let’s just prepare.

Right?

Yeah.

Teach him how to teach him.

You know what you should do?

You should bring dads to the campsite who already know all the dad stuff

And teach him.

Here’s how you change a diaper.

This is how you burp.

Baby, right?

These are the things that you need to say

To your wife when she thinks you haven’t been helping

Enough. Right, right, and then do some

Drumming. Everybody’s sitting around in a circle.

Yeah, but pass on that wisdom.

It needs to be passed on. But let’s go back to the

Linguistic stuff, because that’s what we’re here for.

I really think that baby shower is

Totally fine, whether or not it’s a male-centric

Or female-centric party.

But if I said there’s a baby shower

Next week,

I have a different… I mean, I know

It would require the context, but

We can alter that, right?

It’s a baby shower and everyone’s invited.

Bring your husband.

And then you’re problem solved.

Yeah, yeah.

Could be both sexes.

Right?

Bring grandpa.

Have the cousins show up, the male cousins, right?

Yeah, you’re right.

I mean, I’m like, it shouldn’t be gender specific.

So, yeah, I’m more than happy to use the word baby shower when we go camping.

We’d be like, hey, man, we’re throwing you a baby shower.

We’re going to go camping next week.

I love that.

But I love where you were headed before with something super goofy like baby palooza.

Oh, yeah.

Right?

Yeah, I wanted to be funny.

Yeah, that’s like a big priority for me.

Well, I bet we could get some suggestions from our listeners.

Well, would you call a male-centric baby shower?

Yeah.

Let us know.

Have you had one?

Words@waywordradio.org, 877-929-9673.

And if you’ve had one, what did you do there?

Yeah.

Was it any different than the female-centric ones?

Yes.

Was it?

Okay.

We’d love to hear about it, though.

Sheree, thank you for calling.

Oh, thank you.

Thank you so much for taking my call.

Enjoy the show.

All right.

Good day.

Bye.

Thank you.

Take care.

Best of the happy couple.

Dadchler party?

No.

No.

I kind of.

Never.

I have to say I kind of like it.

But no.

No.

There’s so many things wrong with man shower.

I’m thinking like the wrong parts of Manhattan at the wrong time of night.

That’s what I’m thinking.

Anyway, if you’ve got suggestions for Sherrod on what you call a male-centric baby shower,

You let us know and we’ll share them with everyone in a future show.

877-929-9673.