https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Sun, 12 Apr 2026 13:26:08 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/anyone-else-going-very-low-key-for-1st-birthday#post-2599400 Fri, 05 Aug 2016 12:27:26 +0000 brownepiano 2599400@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We just had dinner with the inlaw's and I made a cake. We didn't even buy him a present because we get him everything he needs as he needs it and he won't care or remember. The inlaw's made up for it anyway! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/anyone-else-going-very-low-key-for-1st-birthday#post-2599389 Fri, 05 Aug 2016 12:04:51 +0000 gingerbebe 2599389@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We did a 1st birthday party for my first son mostly as a thank you to our village and to celebrate not having killed him our first year as parents. Since our family was in town we took advantage of it to have family portraits taken, got food from Costco, and decorated the house with Dollar Tree decorations. I put a lot of time into his Dol Towers and Korean traditional stuff mostly for my family. In short there was nothing huge for DS itself, mostly just for us. So if you personally don't have any reason to make it a big deal, then don't sweat it. DS basically just liked his cake smash and then he went down for nap. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/anyone-else-going-very-low-key-for-1st-birthday#post-2599379 Fri, 05 Aug 2016 11:47:01 +0000 BSB 2599379@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We don't have any family around and we don't have any friends with kids. We have some fellow twin parents that shared due dates with but being introverts, we aren't exactly sure we want to plan a party or something. We'll definitely do something like a party for their 2nd birthday because we are hoping on moving back east to be closer to family. </p> <p>Just not sure if we want to do a party for their 1st birthday. I'm thinking just keep it private and do pictures. So very low key. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/anyone-else-going-very-low-key-for-1st-birthday#post-101742 Mon, 26 Mar 2012 07:02:59 +0000 Andrea 101742@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Our party was low key. At home, around 25 people for lunch and cake. The kids just played and ran around outside. It was still a lot of work, since we had it at home and you have to do set up and clean up, but it was low key. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/anyone-else-going-very-low-key-for-1st-birthday#post-101740 Mon, 26 Mar 2012 06:55:37 +0000 tequiero21 101740@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We're most likely having a small gathering w my fam &amp; hubs...those parties r for u not them haha... </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/anyone-else-going-very-low-key-for-1st-birthday#post-101540 Sun, 25 Mar 2012 18:53:28 +0000 cupcakemama 101540@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We will be low key. LO doesn't know or care! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/anyone-else-going-very-low-key-for-1st-birthday#post-101381 Sun, 25 Mar 2012 11:58:53 +0000 chopsuey 101381@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We just had our LO's birthday party last night! 22 guests total. It was small, but nice. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/anyone-else-going-very-low-key-for-1st-birthday#post-101379 Sun, 25 Mar 2012 11:52:29 +0000 MsMamaBear 101379@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Ours won't be huge (the kids guest list is at 8 right now,LOL) but I made sure to give her one because, like you, I never had parties either. My SO doesn't want her to have one and thnks what I am planning is huge, but oh well. I want her to have what I didn't.LOL </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/anyone-else-going-very-low-key-for-1st-birthday#post-96467 Mon, 19 Mar 2012 12:31:27 +0000 regberadaisy 96467@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@mrstilly:<br /> I feel the same way as you. None of our friends have kids or are any where near having kids. My family all live 8hrs away. He is the second youngest of all cousins. There are only 3 young kids on his side, 1 lives 4hrs away and the other 2 in Romania.<br /> I WISH her parties will have young kids and not just adults. :( But until she's old enough to make friends in school or I make mom friends it won't be happening. :( </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/anyone-else-going-very-low-key-for-1st-birthday#post-96461 Mon, 19 Mar 2012 12:22:06 +0000 Pancakes 96461@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>LO's 1st birthday is tomorrow. We are thousands of miles from family, and the friends we have here don't have kids (or their kids are much older). So it seemed silly to throw a party. I'm going to make her a cake and I did get her a birthday shirt and hat and a little banner that I can re-use. We may go to the park or the zoo depending on the weather, but that's it. I've been trying not to feel too guilty when I see some of the fabulous parties some parents throw. But I know that ultimately she won't remember it, so it's going to be fine. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/anyone-else-going-very-low-key-for-1st-birthday#post-96425 Mon, 19 Mar 2012 11:49:25 +0000 runsyellowlites 96425@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We won't be doing anything big when the time comes. I did a bigger party for DS and it's such a waste (IMO). Really you spend all this time &amp; effort pretty much on food for a bunch of adults (not even your kid really) and they don't remember anyways. sigh</p> <p>We will definitely forgo the stress this next time around. lol </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/anyone-else-going-very-low-key-for-1st-birthday#post-96422 Mon, 19 Mar 2012 11:43:47 +0000 anbanan15 96422@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We are also doing something rather low key. We have similar circumstances as you...immediate family that we are close with, few friends in the area, and small house space. Plus with DS's food allergies it's really sad because he can't have a normal cake and it's makin it very hard for me to get into the planning mood. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/anyone-else-going-very-low-key-for-1st-birthday#post-96409 Mon, 19 Mar 2012 11:32:34 +0000 mrstilly 96409@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'm glad I'm not alone. I wonder if my idea of a first birthday party is a little unrealistic, since I don't have many mom friends and instead see all the fantastic blowouts here and on other blogs. I want to make his birthday special, but I'm becoming much more okay with waiting for the big parties until he is older, has specific interests and will remember them. I do like the idea of a special tradition for his birthday, like a day trip somewhere together. I'll have to mull that one over with DH. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/anyone-else-going-very-low-key-for-1st-birthday#post-96350 Mon, 19 Mar 2012 10:34:14 +0000 Lozza 96350@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I have a feeling at least one set of grandparents will always want to come visit for birthdays, but other than that, we don't plan to do anything for birthdays (other than say "happy birthday! yay!") until LO's friends start having parties and he's old enough to want one of his own. Then we'll see. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/anyone-else-going-very-low-key-for-1st-birthday#post-96349 Mon, 19 Mar 2012 10:32:40 +0000 Lozza 96349@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>DH and I aren't planning any kind of celebration and aren't getting any presents or special clothes or anything. However, LO's birthday is the weekend of Passover and Easter, and both of our families come to town for that, so we were thinking about sticking a candle into a cupcake on that Saturday night and calling it a birthday celebration. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/anyone-else-going-very-low-key-for-1st-birthday#post-96341 Mon, 19 Mar 2012 10:24:40 +0000 plantains 96341@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'm not sure about size, but I definitely plan on always having birthday parties because I always had a party of some sort growing up. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/anyone-else-going-very-low-key-for-1st-birthday#post-96338 Mon, 19 Mar 2012 10:23:29 +0000 heffalump 96338@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My husband wants to invite a ton of people. He said family and close friends. Well so far the invite list is 40 people! Consider yourself lucky that you don't have to throw a huge party. It's a lot of work and LO won't remember it at all. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/anyone-else-going-very-low-key-for-1st-birthday#post-96335 Mon, 19 Mar 2012 10:19:50 +0000 volksgirl64 96335@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We had planned a big party for DD's first, but my mom had surgery last minute so we flew home instead. On her birthday, we made mac &amp; cheese and cupcakes and celebrated with a few friends. That was it!</p> <p>We have yet to do a big party - she'll be 3 in one week and we're having people over but not a theme or anything. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/anyone-else-going-very-low-key-for-1st-birthday#post-96333 Mon, 19 Mar 2012 10:15:57 +0000 Mrs. Jacks 96333@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We had a super low-key birthday for LJ's first. Cupcake with grandma and grandpa. Then we went on our annual national park vacation which we will do every year for her birthday. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/anyone-else-going-very-low-key-for-1st-birthday#post-96325 Mon, 19 Mar 2012 10:11:05 +0000 looch 96325@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Kind of...our families are too far apart too get them all together, so we did a small gathering at my IL's home with just cake and some appetizers that my MIL insisted on making. It was just us, grandparents, great grandma and godmother.</p> <p>Every bit as special as a huge blowout. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/anyone-else-going-very-low-key-for-1st-birthday#post-96324 Mon, 19 Mar 2012 10:07:26 +0000 regberadaisy 96324@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We actually haven't decided yet which route we're going.</p> <p>My ILs may or may not be back here yet by her first bday. Even if they're not I don't know if they will fly up for the birthday. My mom has said she wants to be here for all the bdays.<br /> Altho we flew down south for my husband's nieces 1st birthday that doesn't mean my BIL would do the same for our daughter.</p> <p>So it's really up in the air in terms of how big. But I know regardless I want to make it special whether it's the 3 of us and the mutt or 25+.</p> <p>P.S. I never had birthday parties growing up either. My parents worked too much and there wasn't free money. Which is why I want to make sure we make it special every year for our kids! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/anyone-else-going-very-low-key-for-1st-birthday#post-96318 Mon, 19 Mar 2012 09:59:46 +0000 mrstilly 96318@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>When I was growing up, I never had birthday parties. (Well my birthday is also on Christmas, so that didn't help!) DS is 2 weeks shy of turning 1. I don't have a lot of family in the area, and I don't have friends in the area. I've tried to reach out through mom groups and stuff, but it hasn't happened. Our house is small and can maybe comfortably fit 8-10 adults inside. </p> <p>Initially I wanted to hold his 1st birthday party at our house regardless, with mainly his aunts, uncles and grandparents attending. But then the dates didn't work out for our families at the same time. </p> <p>So now we are having a cake when my family gets together for Easter, and another cake with possible some of DH's family over one weekend at his parents house. I'm making both of his cakes, bought him a "Birthday Boy" shirt, and we will take the gratuitous cake smash pictures. But that's it. </p> <p>Tell me I'm not alone. I mean he has no idea it's his birthday. There aren't really any special customs or traditions around his birthday. I'm pretty positive that I didn't have a party once until middle school when I *made* my parents let me have a party in early Dec. </p>