9 Tips For Throwing Your Childs First Birthday Party

I always look back on my boys first birthday's with a smile. It's an emotional day when your baby has his or her first birthday and officially becomes a one year old. For both of our boys on their first birthdays we decided to have a little party at our house and we invited family over to celebrate, which turned out to be completely perfect for us in that it was a lovely celebration but also not too stressful. 

Today I want to share with you ten tips and suggestions for throwing a fun and relaxed first birthday party at home for you little one. If you're currently planning your little ones birthday party then I hope they prove useful. 

1. Plan the party for for their after nap time 

When it comes to your little one's party make sure to plan it around their usual naptime. With our boys we made sure to have the party start half an hour to an hour after their usual naptime finished, so that they wouldnt get too tired and be upset during their party. 

2. Don't forget the bib 

This is essential for when it comes to eating the party food or the cake if you don't want their birthday  outfit to get totally covered. You can buy birthday-themed bibs online for a few pounds if you want to get something special.

3. Ask someone else to make the cake (or buy one from the supermarket)

Unless making your little ones first birthday cake is something you absolutely want to do, then please don't worry about putting that pressure on yourself. For our little boy first birthdays my mother-in-law and my sister-in-law kindly offered to make the cakes for us and for the boys following birthdays we've always bought them from the supermarket. If you would like something a bit more personalised then a lot of supermarkets offer a budget-friendly personalisation service if you book enough in advance. 

4. Go for a small, simple buffet spread and accept help if it's offered. 

When it comes to the party food, aim for a mix of a few snacks suitable for your little one and any other children who are coming and also some food for the adults too. But don't try and take on too much with it - a small buffet is more than enough. Start preparing the food an hour or so before the party is due to start and if anyone offers to help you with it then kindly accept the help so that you get to enjoy more of the day.

5. Take photos (and be in them too)

Your little one will only turn one once so make sure you get someone to capture some photos for you or make sure that you take your own. Also make sure you are in some of them! It can be so easy to be busy hosting and then only realise afterwards that you weren't in any of the photographs that were taken. So give your camera to somebody and ask them if they wouldn't mind capturing a few shots even if they are just candid. 

6. Get a cute first birthday outfit for your little one

A first birthday is a big milestone and I personally loved getting my boys something a bit special to wear on their big days. It doesn't have to be something super expensive, you can find the most adorable budget-friendly dresses and little shirts for one year olds these days from shops like Primark and also supermarket-own clothing ranges. 

7. Keep it simple - don't force it

Remember that to your little one, their first birthday is probably just a bit of a normal day to them. They'll likely be more interested in the wrapping paper than the presents, they might not be interested in the cake and they could become overwhelmed with all that's going on. So just relax and keep it simple and don't try and force anything too much. 

8. Keep the guest list small

It can be easy to want to invite all of your family and friends, but in my opinion we've always found it nice to keep it quite cosy and small, especially if you haven't got a huge house. That way, with less people to cater for and look after, you can get to enjoy more of the day yourself. 

9. Use paper plates so that you don't need to wash up afterwards 

This is something we always tend to do if we host parties at ours so that there's very little washing up to do afterwards. Hosting parties can be tiring and so after everyone goes home, the less cleaning up to do the better!

But ultimately of course it's all about enjoying the special day and celebrating the little person that you made and are raising. I hope that these tips have been helpful and that if you're currently planning your child's first birthday, that it's a lovely day for you and for them. 

Thank you for reading.

  Alex xo