BIG BABY SHOWER
Putting daddies on duty
ABIG Baby Shower by B3 Parenting
Magazine returns for the seventh staging of nurturing, guiding and informing today’s families. First launched in 2011, the event provides a single destination where new, expectant and experienced parents can receive product and service information and practical resources, all pertaining to the world of parenting.
The event promises to be bigger than ever with something for every parent – from the anxiously expecting mother and father to the parents getting their teens ready for college. This year, the interactive lifestyle expo celebrates parenthood, with a special focus on dad with an outreach for fathers to get more involved in every step of the journey. New father-to-be and social media personality, Garfield ‘Bucka’ Taylor, joins forces with A Big Baby Shower as this year’s ‘Dadbassador’, to encourage new (and all) dads to arm themselves for the journey ahead.
The event is also a celebration of fathers who not only provide but are present for their children. According to B3 Parenting CEO Michelle Gordon, “Jamaica is in the midst of a paradigm shift where our fathers are far more involved today than ever before. Parenting is no longer being seen as mommy’s job. Though we’re not where we need to be, we’ve come a long way as a nation, and that deserves to be celebrated.”
A Big Baby Shower coincides with the release of dancehall sensation Konshens’ recent single Original Daddy – a salute to Jamaican fathers honouring their responsibilities. The Daddy’s Lounge this year is a destination for fathers out in support of their families at the annual event, and will be the place for ‘pampering papa’ by Kingston’s leading spa for men, Totally Male.
This year’s event welcomes the support of the Office of the Children’s Advocate and the Ministry of Health’s Jamaica Moves campaign, with both entities offering parents access to innovative maternal health and parenting education platform. The OCA’s role as protector of our nation’s children will bring to the fore the very real and relevant concerns of the safety of kids, while Jamaica Moves continues its drive towards a healthier nation, targeting the nucleus of our country – family.
FULL DAY OF ACTIVITIES
Parents and children can expect a full day of activities that will include live presentations from respected industry professionals. Scheduled mini seminars will address relevant topics while entertaining and educating on breastfeeding, early-childhood education, health and wellness, and financial planning, to name a few.
Expectant mothers can look forward to discovering the sex of their babies at the exclusive gender-reveal ultrasound booth, and children will have the opportunity for vision and dental wellness checks.
There will also be a host of activities from all the sponsors, including samplings and giveaways throughout the day, culminating in live performances for the first time at this event. “This is our seventh year – God’s perfect number – and we’re doing things a little differently this time around,” shares event manager, Ayesha Barnett. “Prizes and surprises are always exciting, and this year we won’t disappoint; a weekend for a family of four at Beaches Resorts, a car for the weekend, courtesy of ATL Automotive, a full normal delivery for a lucky mother and seven fully packed hospital bags for expectant moms are just some of the prizes that will be available on July 1 at A Big Baby Shower. There will be a kids playroom where children can ‘learn the fun’ with Fundaciones bilingual school, animals from the Hope Zoo and a Live Better Food Court where a wide variety of dining options will be available to patrons.
As always, patrons attending the expo will receive a passport by Yello, serving as a directory to discover new and interesting parenting tools, health and safety products, nutrition tips and lifestyle trends, complete with vouchers that will be valid well beyond the life of the event.
The parenting expo, A Big Baby Shower, will be held on Saturday, July 1 at ATL Automotive on Oxford Road, and will run from noon until 6 p.m.