Babys 1st Birthday

[tiredmama2020]

Did you do anything big to celebrate your child’s 1st birthday? 🤔
DP and I hadn’t really thought much about it - there’s no other kids in the family and we don’t have many local baby friends so we’d never really thought about having a party. Plus, he’s 1 - he’ll have no clue 😬🙈
It’s a couple of months away and now on various occasions family members have asked if they should keep his actual birthday free (midweek) or if we’re having his party the weekend before or after 🙈
We don’t really have space to host all family in our house either so it would mean hiring a hall which just seems a bit crazy 😬
We were planning just to do a day out as our wee family of 3 🤷🏻‍♀️ Is that really off to just not bother with the extended family? I don’t really know how to navigate these occasions yet 🙈🤣 is it normal to have to deal with all the extended family every birthday or is it just because it’s his 1st that people are interested?!

I think you should do whatever you like! We did happen to have a big party, hired a room because we had a small flat, but I wanted to do that - for me it was a bit like a naming ceremony or christening, which we didn’t have, just a chance for extended family to get together, cousins, cousins kids, etc. We didn’t do that every birthday!
With DS2 we were living in a house so had room, again invited family and also lots of friends met through DC1.
But it’s not mandatory! DS1’s second birthday we just took him to the zoo, his third was more child centred - his friends came rather than our friends and family.

Hi, FTM my lo is 1 in December (3 days before Christmas) we've decided we will do a little family gathering at my parents house (immediate family only) with cake etc and then in the evening let friends come over to our house to see lo.
At 1 they don't really know what's going on 😁 I'm making the most of little family gathering because once they start school they will want proper parties!! haha

We have a small house, but had enough space for my parents, my brother, SIL and their 2 kids. DH's family live 600 miles away so thats not really an option. We only had a simple home made buffet, pizza, crisps, sandwiches etc, mote for the adults than for the kids tbh!

Buy yes definitely just do what you like. What about offering to all go out for a meal together? Careful with your wording if you aren't offering to pay for everyone's meal though. Some people on mumsnet seem to think if you invite people out you foot the bill, I've not once done that, or had that done for me in a normal restaurant!

We went to the aquarium just the three of us and then had close family round for cake.

Do what you like! My dd just turned 1. We had a very small gathering in our garden with just grandparents and uncles the weekend before. We didn't want a big thing as we thought it would overwhelm her. On the actual day, it was just the 3 of us and we took her to soft play. As you say, your baby isn't aware it's their birthday and I do think lots of people and presents can be a bit much for the baby.

We had DD’s first birthday a couple of weeks ago. We did a little party with my parents and siblings the Saturday before, a little party with my in-laws the Saturday after, and on the day we did presents in the morning, and a trip to the zoo in the afternoon. There was a fair amount of cake across the 7 days too

Thanks everyone 😊 nice to see it’s a mixed bag and not a given that a big party is the norm! We don’t come from particularly close families and mine and DPs families have never actually met despite us being together 11 years 🙈 mine is VERY antisocial whereas his love to socialise and have a drink etc so there’s just never been a situation where they’ve been together 🙈 I think we will just keep it to a day out for the 3 of us then can let anyone come round later on that wants to!

Buy yourselves a decent bottle of champagne to celebrate getting through the year. Box of balloons for LO and a supermarket cake, they'll be delighted.

Seriously - I started with the proper parties age 1 and it just means you end up doing more and more each year, and you can't even scale back with subsequent DC because they see what their sibling had. Mark my words .

@TheWayTheLightFalls Haha, a very good point! I figure things get bigger once they start with having parties with friends etc so would be nice to keep it to just us this year 😊

A first birthday is a party for parents rather than the child in question. Take any excuse I say.

My son's first birthday is coming up and we decided to get a cottage and go away for the week. We've invited grandparents to join us for his actual birthday and will have a nice little tea together but that's it.

@LooseyGoosey That sounds like a lovely idea 😊 it’s lovely to get away!