Survival Tips for a First Birthday Party

By Jessica Hartshorn and Gail O'Connor
July 14, 2015
Parents Magazine
It won't matter to your baby whether you throw a catered party for the neighborhood or just have the grandparents over for pizza. How much you plan is up to you – do only what feels fun and festive, and cut back if you get stressed out. Here are some tips to get you through this event, plus tips from parents who have been there and done that! 
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Serve a Special Birthday Cake

Credit: Image courtesy of Dee Camarena, @camarenacakepops

Make or buy a creative cake. Your baby will love looking at the cake as much as eating it.

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Keep It Short

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If there will be other young kids, keep the party short – an hour or two is plenty.

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Avoid Choking Hazards

If you want to decorate with balloons, opt for the silver helium-filled kind. Latex balloons are a choking hazard to kids under the age of 4.

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Don't Overload Yourself

Credit: Photograph by Carl Tremblay

If you're serving food, do yourself a favor and don't try to make everything. For instance, bake the cake but buy deli sandwiches. Or grill burgers and have a bakery do the cake.

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Take Pictures Before the Party

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Take pictures of the cake and of Baby in his birthday outfit before the guests arrive.

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Give Baby Downtime

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Don't force Baby to be social. With all the attention, your little one may need to retreat for a bit.

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Make Sure There is Plenty of Help

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Consider hiring a sitter or asking a young relative to stay with the birthday baby when he needs a break.

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Eat Cake the Night Before

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Consider doing the fun part the night before. Strip Baby down to a diaper and let him experience his first piece of cake. Then, if he's too thrown off during the party to enjoy the "real" cake, you won't feel disappointed.

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How to Make a Baby-Handprint Napkin

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Real Mom Advice: Planning

Credit: Parents Magazine

“There is an overwhelming amount of content out there. The best thing that I did for the planning process was shut down my laptop, toss my phone across the room, and bust out a pen and paper.” –Lindsay Tierney; Hudson, MA

“I wish I’d done a better  job planning around my kid’s naptime. She was a bit pooped during the party, but she was fine after a quick nap.” – Demia Doggette; Orlando, FL

 “I’d have made a budget first. The food and décor costs can add up fast. It’s easy to get carried away.” – Aria Morgan; Woodstock,  GA

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Real Mom Advice: Guests

Credit: Heather Knowles

“We had two parties: a dinner for close family so that they could have special time with my son, and a full party for extended family and friends another day when kids could play. I’m so glad we have memories from both days.” – Christine  Andrew; Salt  Lake City, UT

 “I would have set an end time for the party. A few guests lingered later than we anticipated, and a clear time window on the invitation would have made it less awkward to wrap things up.” – Alli Wittbold; Amherst, MA

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Real Mom Advice: Cake

Credit: Heather Knowles

“My most memorable moment was the smash cake! I had so much fun searching on Pinterest for the mini-size cake I wanted.” – Emily Jackson; Salt Lake City, UT

 “I’m so happy I made a cake. It was my mom’s tradition to bake something for me each year, so I loved the idea of carrying that on with my daughter.” – Emily Schuman; Los Angeles, CA

 “I’d give my baby some cake before the big day to warm her up to the sweetness. I set up a picture-perfect scene with balloons, decorations, a tutu, and a dreamy pink cake. We put down the smash cake, and she wasn’t interested. We ended up eating it ourselves!” – Saralyn Ward; Golden, CO

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Real Mom Advice: Entertainment

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“I had plenty of easy entertainment for my baby’s friends at our backyard party. We set up picnic blankets and laid out shallow baskets filled with kitchen utensils, musical instruments, balls, and blocks. They were a huge hit with the littles!” – Alli Wittbold

 “We had a circus theme for our daughter’s first party, and my husband dressed up in costume as the ringmaster. He’s been dressing up for the girls’ birthdays ever since!” – Erin Ziering; Los Angeles, CA

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Real Mom Advice: Decor

Credit: Tara Donne

“The signature number 1 balloon was my best move. It’s so simple and worked great as a photo backdrop, and having a giant balloon was just fun!” – Marcy Fitzpatrick; Rincón, Puerto  Rico

 “I rounded up friends for a DIY night to help make some décor like plastic cups dipped in glitter and memory jars with photos from the first 12 months. Who doesn’t love crafting and wine?” – Erica Hartwig; Boca Raton, FL

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Real Mom Advice: Making Memories

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“Don’t forget to ask everyone to send you their snaps and create a shared digital album postparty.” – Marcy Fitzpatrick;  

“I was having so much fun being in the moment that I didn’t take any pictures. Luckily, my sweet friend was snapping away the entire time. Next time around, I will delegate photographer duties.” – Alli Wittbol

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