Baby Sprinkle Etiquette – All the Practical Tips

When pregnant with your first child, hosting a baby shower for your little one is a no-brainer.

However, when your second, third, or fourth (or more) child comes around, it’s harder to know what to do. You likely want to celebrate your newest family member without hosting a full-blown baby shower.

Luckily, there’s a solution – the baby sprinkle! Baby sprinkles are lowkey versions of baby showers that allow you to get support from close friends and family without the stress of hosting a larger baby shower.

Once you’ve decided to host a baby sprinkle, your next question is likely how to host one, including what etiquette you should follow.

Here at WebBabyShower, we believe in inclusive baby shower etiquette. However, baby sprinkles are different from baby showers. So, the etiquette you should follow is a little different too.

This helpful guide will teach you all the practical tips and tricks you’ll need to host a wonderful baby sprinkle (without committing any social faux pas)!

Are Baby Sprinkles Tacky?

Baby sprinkles aren’t as popular as baby showers. This may lead some to wonder if they are “tacky” or “unfashionable.” But, fear not, baby sprinkles aren’t tacky in the least!

Baby sprinkles are relatively new, so they just haven’t caught on as much as baby showers. But, we predict they’ll become more popular soon.

The fantastic thing about baby sprinkles, though, is that they focus on the parents receiving support and encouragement from close friends and family. They aren’t concentrated on gift-giving and playing baby shower games. So, a baby sprinkle could be a great fit if you love low-key events where you get to spend quality time with loved ones.

Typically, baby sprinkles are second baby showers thrown for a second or third child. However, many parents also throw baby sprinkles for their firstborn in conjunction with a larger shower (more about this below).

Baby Sprinkle Etiquette

So, what are the expected social conventions when it comes to a baby sprinkle? How do they work, and how are guests (and hosts) supposed to behave?

It’s important to know what is expected of guests and hosts of a baby sprinkle, so we’ve taken the time to highlight the most important aspects of baby sprinkle etiquette below.

Also Read: Gift ideas for second time parents

Who Hosts a Baby Sprinkle?

Unlike baby showers, baby sprinkles are almost always hosted by the parents-to-be. If a close friend or family member offers to host, feel free to accept. But, typically, you’ll be the one throwing your own soiree.

Baby showers are a different story.

Sometimes two people – such as your co-worker and best friend – will offer to throw you a baby shower, especially for your firstborn.

If this happens, accepting both invitations is a great idea. Having separate showers for different friend groups makes each event more manageable and allows you to spend quality time with your loved ones.

If you find having a second baby shower too overwhelming, no worries. An excellent alternative is to host one main shower, then smaller sprinkle(s) for guests who couldn’t attend the main event.

Hosting multiple baby showers/sprinkles is a tried and true approach, with approximately 72% of Babylist users throwing more than one shower! Having multiple celebrations is definitely the new norm!

How to Host Multiple Baby Sprinkles

Hosting multiple in-person sprinkles or showers is a lot of pressure – especially on the pregnant mama! That’s why we suggest throwing a virtual baby shower if you have more than one group of guests.

Virtual baby sprinkles are effortless since you can host the entire event from the comfort of your living room couch. You won’t have to decorate your entire house, find someone to cater the event, send handwritten invites, or any other stressful tasks.

Virtual events also make hosting multiple baby showers or sprinkles a breeze. Simply determine the dates and times you want to host, send virtual invitations to your different friend groups, and boom – you’re ready to go.

Having multiple baby sprinkles is even easier on WebBabyShower with our innovative baby shower app, where you can create different baby shower profiles, each with a unique code. Just send the appropriate code to each friend group, and you’ll be able to host all of your baby sprinkles/showers from one place!

How to Send Baby Sprinkle Invitations

Typically, a baby sprinkle will be your second baby shower. So, you won’t need large gifts – like a stroller, high chair, or crib – since you already received these during your firstborn’s shower.

Therefore, you won’t need as many guests to help pay for those big-ticket baby items.

It’s perfectly acceptable baby sprinkle etiquette only to invite people you are close to. Don’t feel pressured to send second baby shower invitations to distant family members or friends you haven’t talked to in a while.

Focus on sending second baby shower invitations to loved ones who make you feel happy and supported. This may include close childhood friends, immediate family, or your favorite co-workers. Aim to surround yourself with people who make you feel your best!

Baby sprinkle etiquette for the Parents-to-be

As the parents-to-be, it’s essential to understand baby sprinkle etiquette. For example, you’ll need to know what kind of gifts you can register for, who typically hosts a baby sprinkle, and how to thank your guests.

Knowing these things will make you and your guests feel more comfortable, ensuring your day goes off without a hitch! Keep reading for a detailed run-through of practical baby sprinkle etiquette.

Register for Smaller Gifts

Baby sprinkles are intimate, no-fuss events with a small guest list.

Your gift registry should try to match this low-key vibe! Therefore, we recommend not registering for big-ticket items like you would for a full-blown baby shower.

Registering for expensive gifts can put a financial burden on your guests, leaving them feeling stressed out – which is definitely not what you want! Remember, it’s much harder for 10 people to split the cost of purchasing a stroller, crib, and high chair than it is for 50 people.

Instead, try to set your sights on everyday essentials that aren’t too costly. Examples include diapers, wipes, and baby wash. If you’d like, you can add one or two slightly more expensive registry items – as long as you really need them!

Adding small gifts to your registry will take the pressure off your guests and make your event fun and relaxed – which is what a baby sprinkle is all about.

Don’t Expect Someone to Throw You a Sprinkle

Baby sprinkles are smaller events often reserved for a second or third child. So, unlike a baby shower, parents-to-be often host them.

However, if someone offers to host your sprinkle, it’s perfectly proper baby sprinkle etiquette for you to accept!

If two people offer to throw you a baby sprinkle – such as a parent and your best friend – allow them both to host.

Having two (or more) baby sprinkles allows you to spend quality time with different groups of loved ones for a more intimate experience.

Send Thank You Notes

Even though baby sprinkles are low-key, it’s always nice to thank your loved ones for their presence and support.

It’s a good idea to write your thank you notes as soon as possible after your baby sprinkle, just in case your little munchkin decides to come early. Once your little one makes their grand entrance, it’ll be harder for you to find time to thank your guests.

While you can send your thank you notes individually, we recommend pairing them with the birth announcement, so you only have to send one letter to each guest.

Throw a Virtual Sprinkle with WebBabyShower

Not to toot our own horn, but WebBabyShower is a fantastic platform for throwing a virtual baby sprinkle! Our site is simple, easy to use, and completely customizable, so you can tailor your baby sprinkle to suit your specific wants and needs.

Our platform offers a personal baby shower web page with built-in invitations and RSVPs, so it’s effortless to keep track of who’s attending your virtual event(s).

Additionally, WebBabyShower has a place to upload pictures and videos and message your guests. This makes it easy to keep your loved ones in the loop before, during, and after your event.

As you’ve learned throughout this article, baby sprinkles are laid-back events that allow you to spend quality time with your loved ones. With WebBabyShower’s stress-free platform, we can make this vision a reality!