1st b'day party - what did you do ??

[mumtosp]

Hi all,

DS will be turning 1 in October (how time has flown! :) ) and I'm torn between having a in intimate family affair or a proper b'day party. The issue with a full blown b'day party is that we have quite a few close friends who we would want to invite and the whole lot will not fit in our house. Did you hire a venue for your LO's first b'day? Or does that seem a bit OTT?

Thanks :)

Me, DH, DS, 4 Grandparents, 2 grandparents' dogs, 3 godparents + partners, 1 DD of godparent (only child guest), party table with sandwiches, grapes, fairy cakes + big cake + candles.

QUITE enough. Until school started we had a rule of the same amount of child guests as age of child.

Don't overdo it - you will want to be fannying around with camera and dissuading him from eating wrapping paper, not wrangling loads of guests.

I had a party, I have a big family and quite a few mum friends.

Local church hall, hired soft play, lots of balloons and made party food.

Parents, Grandparents, aunt/uncle/cousin or two, birthday cake at home with some presents and a couple of balloons and family lunch at a nice restaurant. Easy.

Birthday baby happy with the fuss and excitement of wrapping paper/balloons/cousins/GP etc and got to wear a big badge at lunch beaming.

He won't understand what its for, this is basically a party for you. There will be more, don't set the bar too high yet! If you are really keen on having loads of people round then do it but don't be surprised if the birthday boy doesn't enjoy it!
First dd I did a joint one with a few other 1yr olds, mums, fruit platter and cake at friends house.
Second dd similar, not many people just a few rellies and a small play date contigent at home.
Same for 3rd. Not much food, slice of cake etc

we had a small gathering at home, I wouldn't splash out on a 1st birthday party

At home. 3 dc, including birthday boy (Bil completely forgot until DH rang him on the day, so he only brought one if his five dc, that was a waste of jelly ). 8 adults. Aforementioned jelly, some very small cupcakes, crisps (for the older dc and the adults, DS didn't have any, in case you're worried!).
Very nice gathering, DS got to play with his new toys and share with his two cousins who he adores. Nice afternoon was had by all. And it was about 1hr30, not long enough for kids to get fractious/adults to.get bored.

I expect we'll do something similar this year - DS will be 2 - and maybe next year, too. It depends when they start getting a bit excited about parties/Christmas - about 3/4 yo?

We hired a hall and had a bouncy castle it was great it meant we could invite aunts, grans, cousins without worrying about space and we loved it so much we have done it every year since.

We hired a hall, and took a load of toys along for any older children to play with. There were quite a few people there, friends and relatives. Next year we're doing a birthday tea for grandparents only. It cost a bloody fortune!

Dds first birthday was a weekday so we both took the day off and took her to the Aquarium. We then had a bottoe of champagne and a takeaway after she went to bed to celebrate surviving the first year. The following Saturday, mine amd dhs parents and our siblings came round at lunchtime for cake.

We booked space in a child friendly pub with play area and invited close family and friends. I don't regret it, felt as though the occasion should be marked. Do whatever you feel is right.

DD's is in a few days. We have invited grandparents & godparents for afternoon tea. I don't plan to do a 'party' as such until primary school.

DD's is in a few days. We have invited grandparents & godparents for afternoon tea. I don't plan to do a 'party' as such until primary school.

I plan to either do a Baby Sensory party (from the baby class we do) or just a big family party as DD was born not long after Christmas so if we invite family it'll be killing two birds with one stone.

Thanks all :)

First b'days are a big deal where I come from so I've decided to have a party for family and friends...
I just cannot decide where I should hire a hall or just have in the back garden.
We have a massive back garden, so size isn't going to be an issue.... I'm only worried about how the weather will be
Is it too crazy to have a garden party in the 2nd week of October ?!?!? (I will have a canopy put up)

Thanks again :)

We had a AF,ily birthday party (mum, dad, grandmother, auntie, cousin) and then on the actual da it was just the three of us. Trip to the zoo and a special lunch.

With ds1's 2nd birthday we'll do something similar - family birthday party and then on the actual day a trip, perhaps to a museum and then a special lunch.

He'll also have a birthday party at nursery.

I don't think I'll do the whole kids found, birthday party thing til he's around 4. He still naps 1-3pm and I know this may be different to other kids nap times and coordinating everybody's naps would be a nightmare.

Should read a family birthday party.

We had planned a party at the local park for ds' 1st birthday. It rained so everyone came to ours and basically trashed the place (nephews with adhd and asd) and the birthday was effectively ruined. For his 2nd we just had a family (just us 4) meal in Frankie and Benny's with a cake at home.
Dd is 1 in a fortnight. For her b'day we're having a small tea party at home with cake and buns, but all the kids are staying in the garden (moved house, bigger garden). If it rains, party's off.
It sounds mean but I'm not going all out for a party that dd won't remember or care about, and I don't want the stress of having an army of hyperactive kids running all over our house and damaging our things. It's not worth it.
Her actual birthday falls on a Monday so she'll be having cake and songs at nursery. IMO that's all they need at this age.