Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Parties/celebrations

Whether you're planning a birthday or a hen do, you'll find plenty of ideas for your celebration on our Party forum.

Flip

Original poster

What kind of celebration for baby's first birthday?

19 replies

adee1974 · 05/01/2008 20:38

Hiya, my lo birthday is coming up in a few weeks and I know family and friends will ask how I'll be celebrating her first birthday. Do I do something with just her and DH or do I have a big party? Just received a catalogue which has all party stuff and banners, so I'm confused. How did you guys celebrate? Cheers xxxx

OP posts:

FluffyMummy123 · 05/01/2008 20:39

Message withdrawn

WideWebWitch · 05/01/2008 20:40

Agree. Bottle of Champagne to celebrate the first year. 2nd, same. Third, little tea party. Fourth, bigger tea party. and then proper parties for ever which take ages to organise and cost a fortune. So make the most of it!

WideWebWitch · 05/01/2008 20:41

Your baby won't know, won't mind, won't care. Really, I think it's for parents to celebrate really.

TheGoatofBitterness · 05/01/2008 20:41

oh god, don't have a party. parties for one year olds are depressing funless affairs full of terrified babies and stressed parents. wait until she is 4 and demanding a party herself.

RubySlippers · 05/01/2008 20:41

we had a big afternoon tea - it was really just an excuse to get all our friends and family togther for a party

it was honestly more for me and DH to celebrate making it through the first year intact

i drank A LOT of wine

DS was totally non plussed by the whole thing

we didnt buy him a present either

FluffyMummy123 · 05/01/2008 20:41

Message withdrawn

TheGoatofBitterness · 05/01/2008 20:42

and worse still if you invite lots of other babies you then have to attend their parties and it will spiral into several months of pass the parcel hell.

bossybritches · 05/01/2008 20:44

DH & I took our DD1 out to a posh Fish & Chip place that had just opened for lunch & had a lovely meal, on the day. That night we had a quiet drink & pondered the amazing fact that a) we had survived & b) even more amazing so had our DD!!!

That w/e various family members came for the w/e & we had a small tea party at her usual tea-time with Madam holding court in her High-chair. She was of course PFB.

When DD2 came along I think we had a family tea &that was it!! (god can't remember hers isn't that awful!!)

LaDiDaDi · 05/01/2008 20:46

We had a big party for family and friends on the BH wknd just before her birthday. Lasted from 2pm to 2am and we all had a great time. Dd went off with her gps at about 7pm and we drank lots of wine and champers. Culminated in dp's friend going mad with a chiminea thing and singing his girlfriend's designer handbag .

Great day/night .

bodiddly · 05/01/2008 20:46

we didn't do anything other than have grandparents round for cake and presents!

LaDiDaDi · 05/01/2008 20:47

singeing, not singing. He didn't serenade Louis Vuitton.

Original poster

adee1974 · 05/01/2008 20:48

You guys make me laugh, thanks for the confirmation, I'm probably going to take her to the park and have something nice between DH and me! Sometimes gets a bit competitive in the mum's social circle and I know some of them will plan big dos, bouncy castles, clowns, etc...oh lord feel sick thinking about it! Cheers again xxx

OP posts:

Original poster

adee1974 · 05/01/2008 20:50

LaDiDaDi, sounds a riot!

OP posts:

Ab31 · 05/01/2008 20:54

Oh the cynicism!
Adee1974 we recently had a lovely party for DD's 1st bday. We have no space at home so rented an event room in the local church - basic and very cheap - for 3 hours and invited about 8 babies and their parents plus a few family. Took bubbly, cake and a few baby things (breadsticks, yoghurts etc), a CD player and asked each mum to bring a few toys. The church put soft mats down and the babies played with each others toys all afternoon while we drank wine and ate cake! Had a walk in the park for babies to sleep afterwards. (oh and we did treat everyone to teas and coffees from a local cafe to save the hassle of having to make them).
Mums loved it, babies loved it!

MrsCarrot · 05/01/2008 20:56

We always had family and a few friends over for
cakes and wine with the older two, mainly to celebrate surviving the first year I think. My Lo is also one in two weeks and I have thought about a party but I'm too knackered.

We will have trifle and some champagne, maybe some ballons. Definitely no banners.

Ab31 · 05/01/2008 20:57

BTW I'd never even been into the church before so didn't need to be a 'regular' or anything!

PortAndLemonaid · 05/01/2008 20:57

My parents came round (at their suggestion). We had a chocolate cake with a candle. Blew out candle, sang "Happy Birthday", put a plastic sheet on the floor and let DS loose with a slice of chocolate cake. Then we went out to the playground at the park. MIL and the SILs came round the day after his birthday, polished off the rest of the cake, and went to another park.

One of DS's "friends" (she is a friend now, but let's be honest, at the age of 1 she was merely "a baby we know of the same age") did pop round with her mother (who'd been in postnatal group with me) for half an hour or so, but that was it.

Original poster

adee1974 · 05/01/2008 20:58

Thanks again, all ideas sound great, wasn't be snideyWill do something like your idea Ab31 for her second, going to have quiet one with immediate family. Cheers again xxx

OP posts:

Janni · 05/01/2008 20:58

You decide what YOU would like to do. You just enjoy those first two or three birthdays before your child starts having a say in it and wanting to take their entire class to Disneyland Florida. Do not waste your money on silly party stuff, plan a lovely lovely day that YOU and DH will enjoy because then your LO will also have a fantastic birthday.

Flip