Choosing godparents for your baby's christening can be very difficult.  This can definitely make waves in the family, even though it should be a pleasurable and happy time.  You can be at risk of offending both family and friends!  As far as who to choose, it is ultimately up to you and not someone dictating their opinion.

A few things to keep in mind when choosing godparents for your baby's christening are that
whomever you choose, should have the best interest of your baby in mind.  They should be able to make a promise to you that they will be there for your child all through the years to come. They should help with the spiritual raising of your child, not just to be an easily accessible babysitter or an ATM machine.  They should be capable of the above commitments beforehand.  Not only do you need to decide if they can follow through with this, but they need to decide before they commit as well. 

So, as you can see, a family member as well as a close friend can fall into this
category.  They don't have to be a legal guardian either.  It is very hard to reduce your list of options. Take it slow, consider carefully.  They will be and should be a part of your child's life forever.  Godparents need to be able to build a good relationship with their godchild. 

Also, when choosing godparents for the christening, the godparents should be able to help
nurture your child, so look for someone who will pray for them.  Be sure your views of religion and morality are the same or at least similar. If not, at least make sure you are comfortable with their beliefs. Sometimes the godparents may not even be Christian, but will still promise to bring the Godchild up with the Christian values.  

If you know that a person you are considering does not like children, obviously cross them
off your list.  It is better to disappoint them now than to have your child disappointed later. They should be available to visit the child as much as possible so they can grow and get to
really know each other.

As one can see there are a lot of different factors that need to be looked at and decided by both parties.  When you feel that you have made your decision, ask them.  Have them really
think about it.  Explain their responsibilities to them and ask them to take some time to think about it.  Your baby's christening is a very special and blessed event and shouldn't be taken lightly. A baby's christening will be something that you will cherish forever.