Your baby’s first birthday is a momentous event, and
you may wish to celebrate with a small party. Don’t be surprised,
though, if he doesn’t show much interest in the proceedings, or if he
finds the paper and the packaging more exciting than his birthday
presents.
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Keep it simple—you can’t enjoy celebrating your baby’s transition to toddlerhood if you are busy serving hors d’ouevres
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Limit the number of guests—most babies suffer from separation and stranger anxiety at this stage, and a big gathering may cause distress rather than enjoyment
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Keep things short—an hour or 90 minutes is probably the full extent of his attention span
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Set the time for the party half an hour after he normally wakes up from his nap, so he’s refreshed and not too grumpy
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Forget about themes and party games—your baby will have no interest, and you may end up feeling deflated
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Entertainment for little ones can be cheap and simple—a pot of bubbles will keep them entranced for ages
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Balloons may be fun,
but place them out of reach to avoid him popping them, or choking when
they are deflated; better still, choose helium balloons and cut the
strings so the little ones can’t reach them -
Make sure he’s had something to eat and drink before the guests arrive; even the most baby-friendly food probably won’t appeal to him in the midst of all the excitement
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Let him open his presents—this will be the highlight of his day, if only because he will be surrounded by a mountain of crinkly, colorful paper
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You may choose to do party favors for older guests, but a shiny new ball will be enough to enthral his one-year-old buddies when they leave
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Watch the sugar—most little ones haven’t had much experience, and can become sick and irritable on a party-food diet
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You can make an exception to the rule by making a wonderful, wobbly Jell-O, perhaps moulded in the shape of your baby’s favorite animal
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By all means make him a cake in the shape of something he recognizes—a farm animal, for example, or perhaps a teddy bear
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Offer water to drink (most baby guests will have their own cups), and some fun, healthy finger foods
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If anyone asks for gift ideas, suggest books—this is the best way to build up your baby’s library, and it’s an affordable gift for most people
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If grandparents want to be more generous, perhaps you could suggest they buy your baby his first ride-on toy, which will probably occupy him for the rest of the day
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Don’t forget your camera—this is one day you can’t fail to record
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Take a photo of all the guests,
and tape it in your baby’s scrapbook; you’ll be amazed how quickly you
forget his first friends, as he grows up and develops his own social
circle
A select few
Invite only a handful of family or friends that your baby knows well, so as not to overwhelm him on his first birthday.
