Congratulate yourselves: You’ve almost made it through Year One! You’ve learned to tell a hungry cry from a tired one, wiped up squished bananas, changed leaky diapers and adjusted your sleep requirements. Now it’s time to celebrate! A first birthday party is as much for the parents as it is for the baby (your 12-month-old thinks a candle in a cupcake is a very big deal). So we’ve come up with a recipe for a bash you can all enjoy. Just make sure your camera's ready to capture every scrumptious moment.
The Prep Work
Prepare well for your baby's party and you're on the way to a successful event. A few tips:
Invitations
If you're planning a shindig, you'll want to send out invites. The cheapest and most manageable option is an e-mail invitation that lets guests RSVP online.
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Evite.com offers free evites with kids' themes, and the site is set up to track the RSVPs in the background (which saves you responding to calls or emails)
• Another free site with an RSVP function is
Pingg , which works with Facebook and text messaging, and also has some cute baby designs.
• If you're happy tracking your own responses, just send a Family Alert from your account on
Our365.com - it's the simplest option.
Music Put someone in charge of the music and ask that person (Dad?) to prepare a playlist ahead of time that will keep grown-ups and babies happy. Combine get-up-and-dance music with more laid back sounds to avoid over-stimulating the little ones. Your DJ could make a couple of CDs or a special party playlist on his iPod. A few suggestions:
• Make sure your playlist is fresh, but sprinkle in pop versions of Happy Birthday (Stevie Wonder’s from “Hotter Than July” or the Beatles “Birthday” from the White Album).
• Include some of your favorite tunes as well as Baby's, because - don't forget! - this celebration is as much yours as your child's.
• Check out our
First Birthday Playlist, created for Our365 by the founding mom at Baby Loves Disco. Go there now.
Your baby Most babies like what’s familiar, and being the center of attention in the midst of all the hoopla can upset them if they're unprepared. So tell your little one she's having a party and how special she is. More prep tips:
• Practice blowing out the candles a few days in advance. Don’t be surprised if Baby tries to grab that really cool light at the end of the candle – best to warn her against it.
• Sing Happy Birthday for her, loud! Otherwise, a sudden rousing chorus during the party might drive her to tears.
• You can even show her photos and tell her stories about some of the guests who are coming. If baby’s losing interest, drop it for another day.
is a very big deal). So we’ve come up with a recipe for a bash you can all enjoy. Just make sure your camera's ready to capture every scrumptious moment.
Next: The Where, When and Who