Today I’ve got a treat for you. =) I’ve got a two part series on planning a child’s party written by Jenny @ Cloth Diaper Revival. Jenny is a sahm to her little guy, Noah and is currently in the midst of planning his 1st birthday party. *How exciting!* Although my little girl’s 2nd birthday isn’t until New Years Eve, I’m already in the planning stages just so i have as little to do as possible when the time comes. Our Decembers are just too busy to try to do everything then with Christmas on the 25th, our wedding anniversary on the 27th, and little girl’s birthday the 31st. Needless to say, I’m going to be jotting these awesome tips down in my proverbial notebook… (you should too!)
First Birthday Party Tips
You’ve survived the first year of parenting! Hooray! Congratulations! This is a reason to celebrate! I mean, of course you’re going to celebrate the first year of your baby’s life, but let’s be honest…first birthday parties are totally for the parents! Your child’s only memories of the party will come from small anecdotes from you and a photo book they see when they are much older. Here’s a list of tips to help you plan your celebration!
- Keep it simple!
Your child is one, not 12. They aren’t going to remember the day and they still get easily over stimulated. There’s no need for you to spend a lot of money or have complicated activities. A small gathering of close friends and family is all you need!
- Set a time frame.
Choose a time that works best for your child’s daily schedule. If you schedule the party for the middle of nap time, you can pretty much guarantee your child will be miserable and you won’t have a good time. An hour and half to two hours is plenty of time to ensure that your child will have fun without being over stimulated.
- Set your expectations low.
Don’t be surprised if your child isn’t amused by the smash cake you set in front of them or if they scream like crazy when everyone sings Happy Birthday. You never know with babies. Sometimes they have a bad day. Sometimes it’s the little things. Don’t be disappointed if things don’t go as planned. Just do your best to have fun and remember you only have so much control!
- You’re in charge!
Your child is one. This means this is the one year you get to plan the party you want to have and not the one your child demands! Pick a cute theme that you like and keep it simple. I steered clear of the adorable dinosaur theme I fell in love with because I wanted to keep that as an option for my son in the future. Instead, I choose to have a “party” theme with bunting as the decorations.
Source: Parents.com |
- Don’t spend a fortune!
There are tons of free and cute options for birthday party ideas, decorations and invites. Check out Pinterest for ideas, Etsy for inexpensive invites, and don’t be afraid of Google! I love these free editable invites from Parents.
- Start early!
It’s never too early to start thinking about your little one’s first birthday. I started pinning things on Pinterest when my son was just a few months old. It made things easy when I began hard core, serious party planning. The ideas were there; I just needed to sift through them and decided what I wanted to go with.
I’m feeling inspired enough I may go spend some time on my Pinterest... hehe.
SkYLan says
Good tips. I’d like to see some on keeping the party green too!
Kelly says
So very true! We did a big family party for our first born’s 1st b-day. Never again! lol Now we just enjoy a small family party for the 1st b-days and they are much more relaxing and fun.
Audrey says
I love cute kids parties and started a Pinterest board for my daughter’s 1st birthday party when she was only a month old! Great tips!
Coupons and Friends says
Great tips especially start early, that gives you the time to do everything else!
Norma Neal says
Great ideas. It is always hard to manage a first birthday party that is too large.
Rhonda says
awesome ideas… love it!!
Heather says
Hi I’m Heather! Please email me when you get a chance, I have a question about your blog! LifesABanquet1(at)gmail.com