First Birthday Tips

We celebrated our son's first birthday quietly.

He was all dressed up in his corporate attire (with tie and coat) clicking away on his little laptop.

He was going through a range of emotions like surprise, irritation, weariness and was trying to gain attention of his mom. He was also crying a bit with a number of new faces suddenly hovering around him. He was besotted with gifts sent to him from all over.
He was glued to his cell phone and looking to talk to someone. May be he wants to get ahead in the corporate world already. Kids nowadays are getting smarter. If you give them a toy cell phone with all the fancy ringtones included, they wouldnt be satisfied with that alone. They want to grab the real ones. This may be harmful for them as their organs are in a development stage and might affect adversely.

We should try and avoid putting too much plastic near by them as well. Avoid decking them up in heavy jewellery, even if you have to, just put them on until the mandatory photo session. Balloons should be kept away from the tiny tots as they might get choked trying to blow them (too hard). Try to feed them with light food before you start the festivities and arrange the party at a convenient time. A good time would be to call children and friends after his/her nap time which will leave them fresh and energetic. Try not to put noisy bloopers and bursting crackers will only frighten the little ones. Avoid the foam and other colourful paper dust as this may not be suitable for a kid's first birthday party. Keep the little kids away from the fizzy drinks even as they crave to drink whatever the elder ones are gulping up, their curiousity can wait for now. Putting carpets/mats on the floor will help the kids move and crawl around comfortably. If the space in your apartment/house is limited, this will help accomodate more people as well. Throw open all the doors and windows to let the fresh air in which will keep the kids active. Also, add more ligthing if possible to make it a bright and cheerful occasion.


Slip the kids into some loose cotton clothing ones the cake cutting and photo sessions are done, as all the remnants of the food might spoil their clothes and their mood. Make sure there are no sharp objects in the vicinities accessible to all the kids coming in. Also, it would be nice if you can find a plastic knife for your tot to cut the cake with. This would be comfortable and not so dangerous. Make sure some space (at least one room) is left for your kid's feeding and changing nappies which may look odd in front of everyone. Make sure you clean up all the plastic plates, spoons, plastic glasses and other cutlery after every one leaves. It would be nice to give him a bath after the party (if he feels fine).
Ahh!!! Now, its time for him to slip into mama's arms finally and sleep!!! Happy Birthday to you, dear son!!!