by Carol Bloomfield

Created on: March 30, 2009   Last Updated: January 11, 2012

Baby's first birthday is a great event, a wonderful opportunity for a family to celebrate one year on. Keeping focussed on how you would like to mark the special day will help you ensure you have a day to remember.

Your child won't remember the celebrations whatever you choose to do, but marking the occasion in the way that you want to is really important. The first year is full of milestones and as the big day approaches you'll find yourself looking back to baby's birth, remembering their first smile, reminiscing about all the events of the last twelve months. The most important thing to remember when you are deciding what to do is that this celebration is about you and your baby, other people's expectations should be kindly left to one side. Do what you want to do.

For our daughter's birthday my husband and I did two special things. On her birthday the three of us had a day out together. As it turned out we went to a butterfly zoo, but what really mattered wasn't where we went, or what we did. What mattered was that we marked the day by spending time together.

On the Sunday of that week we had a family get together, when our parents and siblings came for a barbecue in our garden. It was a special occasion not just because our daughter was one, but also because we so rarely get all 17 of us in one place. Ritual and family tradition are important to us, and as we have not had our daughter christened this family party was a way of showing our commitment to each other and to her. We could also say a big Thank You' for all their support over the last twelve months.

A first birthday is a big deal. It needs to be acknowledged as such, but this recognition does not need to cost a lot of money, there's no need to be drawn in to buying lots of things to make the celebration perfect. I made some bunting which we hung out in the garden, we baked and iced a cake in the shape of number one, we picked some flowers from the garden to put on the table. We were not lavish or extravagant but the memory of that day will stay with us forever.

Friends of ours rented the village hall, hired caterers to provide party food and gave away party bags with gifts and cake in. They sent out invitations and afterwards posted Thank You' cards. A lot of time, effort and money went in to making the day special. Everyone had a wonderful time and our friends celebrated their daughter's birthday in the way they wanted to. It was not what we would have chosen, but it was exactly what they wanted which is why their day was as perfect as ours.

When it comes to buying gifts it is wise to remember the greatest gift anyone can give to another is their time and attention. Your child will yearn for nothing more on their birthday so avoid the pressures to buy lots of presents - in the years ahead there will be plenty of long wish lists to try to fulfil. 

By doing what you want to do for your child's first birthday you will be relaxed and happy. However you celebrate if everyone is having fun your child will have fun too. They may not have a conscious memory of their first birthday but there will surely be photos of their smiling face to show them in years to come.

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