Gender reveal parties. Some people are all for them, while others are against the very idea. I’m in the middle. I think that a simple gender reveal party, involving something like popping a balloon or cutting a colored cake, is cute and something I would do when I have kids in the future. 

What I don’t think is cute, however, is the over-the-top or completely tacky gender reveal parties that end up being dangerous. There are many stories of “harmless” gender reveals having severe consequences – from starting a wildfire to even someone dying.

Many of these gender reveals that end badly are because the parents-to-be have some ridiculously unnecessary – and even outright illegal – idea, like one couple that dyed the water in a waterfall in Brazil blue to announce that their baby was a boy. Another example involved a plane, with a trail reading “it’s a girl,” that nose-dived into the ocean and killed the pilot and co-pilot.

A gender reveal party doesn’t need to involve explosives of any sort. There are lots of safe but still fun ways to announce the gender of your baby that don’t include launching a colored firework in the middle of a forest or setting something on fire and releasing colored smoke.

Most of the time, these absurd gender reveals are done for views and attention. The people involved set up an elaborate plan and then record it and share it online with the intent of getting people to react. That’s not what a gender reveal party should be. A good, simple party should be a fun get-together with your friends and family.

Even if an idea for a gender reveal party is safe, that doesn’t always mean it’s a good idea. Some methods of announcing a baby’s gender that have been done are just plain dumb. For example, one video out going around the internet is of a family member popping out of a box in an inflatable baby costume – diaper and all.

Absolutely no one needs that. Just bake pink or blue cupcakes, that’s all you need to do. Below is a list of ideas for gender reveals that don’t involve anything exploding or anybody getting injured.

• Launch a pink or blue confetti popper
• Open a box and let pink or blue balloons float out
• Spray some pink or blue silly string
• Cut into a pink or blue colored cake
• Crack a custom fortune cookie with boy or girl written on it
• Turn on pink or blue LED lights

Like I said before, I’m not against gender reveals. I think that, when done safely, a gender reveal party is a cute and fun way to celebrate a new life with friends and family. What I am against is the over-the-top and sometimes dangerous ideas people come up with for gender reveals. 

Those just need to stop.