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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Cake smash...

408 replies

SleepingStandingUp · 08/09/2020 19:24

I know I am. But if people can convince me I'm not I'll be much happier 😁😁

When DS was 1 I was opposed to cake smash photoshoots because it was a waste of cake. And he was tube fed all wouldn't have touched it and was actually in the middle of a 4 month awful hospitalisation for his birthday and when he came out he ate even less than when he went in and he had/has sensory issues that just would have made it not viable.

Now I have twins who would devour a cake shop between them, who don't seem to have any issues touching messy stuff or eating ANYTHING and I really want one.

But I know they're terrible.

Would I be unreasonable to bury my principles for some cute photos of fat babies covering in icing and cream?

OP posts:
diddl · 08/09/2020 20:09

What's cute about it?

CheeseCakeSunflowers · 08/09/2020 20:09

I don't like them, if you want cute photos of children in a mess why not sit them in the garden with a few paint pots. After all it was good enough for Prince Louis.

Newpuppyplanning · 08/09/2020 20:09

Go for it! But don't ask Mumsnet. Do what brings you joy. Cake is not bloody proper food. It's not wasteful. No one needs cake. It has fuck all nutritional value. Smash on.

Janaih · 08/09/2020 20:09

Anyone that posts such photos on social media, it's very likely someone on your friends list will be viewing it in a vile manner.

LolaSmiles · 08/09/2020 20:10

I don't see the point. It's a waste of perfectly good cake for the sake of some photos.

Why not get them a birthday cake and then let them eat a slice each? You can take a photo before looking nice and anyone with children knows the icing will still go everywhere when they eat it.

Why buy a cake specifically to smash for photos?

herecomesthsun · 08/09/2020 20:10

Do it if you want!

But I had 2 who could make the most fantastic mess with 1 cone of chocolate ice cream, so if you just want pics of happy children messily scoffing goodies, you don't have to go to great expense with the cake.

FridayNightAtTheBronze · 08/09/2020 20:10

DappledThings

Yep, girls in tutus mandatory. And boys have to be in weird polyester bow tie faux suit outfits.

It's all very strange and tacky.

FridayNightAtTheBronze · 08/09/2020 20:11

Yep, girls in tutus mandatory. And boys have to be in weird polyester bow tie faux suit outfits.

It's all very strange and tacky.

Cloudtraffic · 08/09/2020 20:12

Up to you OP - first time I’ve heard of this. Is it a regional/age thing?

PerditaNitt · 08/09/2020 20:12

We had a session with a professional photographer who specialises in cake smashes. We spent about half of the session doing some lovely family photos, which we would never have gotten around to doing otherwise. And then about a quarter doing solo shots of the baby dressed up and playing with toys. And then only one quarter doing a little cake smash. He only smashed a tiny bit of it and we have a lovely few photos of him feeding himself cake ( we took the rest home and ate it). The last part of the smash was a giant old fashioned metal tin which he bathed in with lots of rubber ducks and bubbles.

A cake smash doesn’t have to just a few photos of mess, you can use it as an excuse for a full family photo session and when cake smashes go out of fashion, you still have all of the other photos to look back on. I was not too sure about it before booking, but I didn’t regret it all.

Whatthebloodyell · 08/09/2020 20:13

I really don’t understand the appeal. I take a gazillion cute phots of my children every week. I don’t need a smashed up cake to make them look cute.

passthemustard · 08/09/2020 20:13

Do it. It'll be fun and I'm sure you'll treasure the photos forever. They are only babies for such a short time. Don't listen to MN fun police.

My babies all had their first taste of cake on their first birthday and their reactions were unforgettably hilarious. I kind of wish cake smash had been a thing 19 years ago I'd have loved to get that memory in some gorgeous photos.

Cloudtraffic · 08/09/2020 20:14

We had a session with a professional photographer who specialises in cake smashes.

Yup I’m getting old

IHateCoronavirus · 08/09/2020 20:19

Ah op, normally I would not be in favour of them but reading your op I can see why it could be of significance to you.
DC1’s birthday sounded like it took place during a stressful period in your lives. The hospitalisation and tube feeding must have been difficult for you all. It is not how anyone would have imagined spending their baby’s first birthday. I am sure however well you may have coped with it at the time, there must have been many layers of emotion.

Now you have not one but two little chubsters, who CAN eat and who would more than likely love the cake. You have the freedom to choose to go all out birthday unrestricted by circumstance. Of course your mind is going to go big.

If you want to do it do it. We all have our opinions on what is this or that, but not one of us is you, had lived what you have lived or loves your babies like you do.

BeingATwatItsABingThing · 08/09/2020 20:20

@Cloudtraffic

We had a session with a professional photographer who specialises in cake smashes.

Yup I’m getting old

Grin Grin Grin
CultOfWax · 08/09/2020 20:21

I just think cake smash photos look quite shit.

Original poster
SleepingStandingUp · 08/09/2020 20:26

@Trufflepuffpuff

I suppose you did ask so...I think they're pretty crass and wasteful. To be honest they make me a bit angry, such a silly waste of food. If you were previously so against them then maybe you could come up with another idea that would be equally cute? But it is up to you and if you really want one then go for it.
Thing is I agree but then I think that was tinged with biterness cos I couldn't do one so I convinced myself I shouldn't want one.
OP posts:
byvirtue · 08/09/2020 20:26

Lol I love how everyone is moaning about the waste of one cake when presumably the majority of their one year olds sent 5 ish disposable nappies to landfill every single day....

We did a cake smash, she didn’t smash any of it so we took it home and ate it. They are only 1 once go for it.

CharismaticVic · 08/09/2020 20:26

@SleepingStandingUp

I know I am. But if people can convince me I'm not I'll be much happier 😁😁

When DS was 1 I was opposed to cake smash photoshoots because it was a waste of cake. And he was tube fed all wouldn't have touched it and was actually in the middle of a 4 month awful hospitalisation for his birthday and when he came out he ate even less than when he went in and he had/has sensory issues that just would have made it not viable.

Now I have twins who would devour a cake shop between them, who don't seem to have any issues touching messy stuff or eating ANYTHING and I really want one.

But I know they're terrible.

Would I be unreasonable to bury my principles for some cute photos of fat babies covering in icing and cream?

Why are they terrible? We had one done and the baby hardly bashed the cake so it didn't go to waste, we ate most of it.
Thisismytimetoshine · 08/09/2020 20:29

@Findahouse21

Do it - my dd had a ball at hers, and most of the cake was still edible too
Edible by whom?! 🤮
Original poster
SleepingStandingUp · 08/09/2020 20:29

@ktp100

Bake the cake yourself, make a back drop with a sheet and take your own photos.

We did one with my son and it was great.

I don't give one solitary shit what anyone else thinks about them and neither should you!

Probably have to with bloody Corona!!
OP posts:
burritofan · 08/09/2020 20:30

I don’t understand why you can’t just... have a birthday cake, give a slice to the baby, photograph them with it? Is that too normal?

Original poster
SleepingStandingUp · 08/09/2020 20:31

@emmathedilemma

It disgusts me that people waste food like this when there's charities and volunteers who provide cakes for children who wouldn't otherwise get a birthday cake. its just a vile social media attention grabbing thing like gender reveals IMO.
Well my walls aren't SM so...
OP posts:
GlendaSugarbeanIsJudgingYou · 08/09/2020 20:33

Who gives a shite what any of us think?

Will the pictures make you happy? Will you smile at them in the future? Yes? Crack on.

I didn't do a cake smash with my two but I'm wholly unbothered by the idea.

Original poster
SleepingStandingUp · 08/09/2020 20:36

@PhilSwagielka

What's the basic premise, a kid gets photographed eating a cake?
You kinda shove a very creamy cake in front of a 1 yo and let them go for it. In theory they dive in and get covered in cake. It's the idea of two chubby boys covered in must that weirdly appeals
OP posts: