Sprinkles are a growing fad these days. A sprinkle is a light version of a baby shower for moms who have already had their first child. The mere mention of a sprinkle gets a lot of people eye rolling and complaining. There is a long list of etiquette rules that people have come up with to decide if it’s appropriate or not to have a sprinkle. I’ve haven’t always been one to follow the rules, so I will be having a sprinkle.
One of the questions I have been asked many times after getting pregnant with my second child was if I was going to have a sprinkle for the new baby. For many months I said I wasn’t sure if I was going to have one. After all, I kept all my baby stuff expecting to have another child. My first child was a boy and I was going to have another boy. My first baby shower was a crazy Pinterest worthy shower with a huge guest list where I was showered with love and gifts. There was no need to ask my family and friends to go out of their way to bring me anything else or waste a precious weekend day to celebrate me and a baby again.
But then I realized who was asking me about a sprinkle. It was my close friends and family. They weren’t asking with hesitation expecting and hoping for an out. They were asking because they expected and wanted one to happen. They wanted to set time aside so they could go and shower me and the baby with love, and yes, some gifts too.
For me this was a harder decision than going against etiquette rules. It hasn’t even been a year since I lost my mom and I knew if she were alive she would have thrown me a sprinkle whether I wanted one or not. She was alive during most of the year and a half it took me to get pregnant and was a constant voice of reason and reassurance. It has been harder to get as excited about this baby without her and all around, the second baby just isn’t as big of a deal as the first.
So this is when I decided to do the opposite. I would make this pregnancy and baby a big deal. It’s what my mom would have done. With my first baby I didn’t do a gender reveal but this time I did a gender reveal at Disneyland. I took the negative thoughts of inconveniencing or annoying my family and friends and finally agreed to have a sprinkle thrown in my and my baby’s honor.
I didn’t succumb just because of my mom. The real reason for a shower or sprinkle in my eyes is to celebrate me and the new baby, not just getting gifts. I wanted my second son to look back on pictures and stories and see that everyone was excited for him to come into the world too and that was worth celebrating. I also wanted my 3 year old to see my close circle celebrate and anticipate his brother in hopes of upping his excitement.
Sprinkles may not be right for everyone. You may not want one thrown in your honor and you may not want to go to one. That’s perfectly fine. Just remember, everyone’s journey to have another baby is different. Be sensitive to their choices before voicing your opinion on their sprinkle. Make a decision that is right for you, but remember it won’t hurt to sprinkle others with love.
