The big ONE

It’s funny how one year seems to go by so quickly and all those late night feeds, evening colic, teething troubles, immunisation schedules and all the hits and misses of the first year soon become a thing of the past. For many parents, the first year is a trying one, particularly for first timers who find everything new and quite unlike what they’ve been brought up to believe. It is equally challenging for parents of second/third children who now have to juggle their time and resources between yet another little one.

Planning to celebrate

Traditionally, the first birthday is a big one, a milestone celebrated in a small, intimate family gathering or a large community celebration .

Marking this milestones varies from  having  a havan  or a religious ceremony to bless the little one and thank the Lord for keeping him blessed, to having a modern day celebration with cake and chips.

But keeping in mind the fact that more often than not families are nuclear with both parents working, many celebrations are held outside the home in a hall or garden or a hired venue with everything outsourced to party planners. But whatever the scale of the celebration whether it is just baby and parents or a huge big hoop-la, what is important is PLANNING.

What to do and what not to do

• Do remember that the celebration is all about the baby.
• Don’t make baby the parcel  passed around by everyone present. Babies are intimidated by strangers.
• Do keep baby handling to a minimum and preferably keep him with people he is familiar with.
• Do not have balloons that can frighten babies when they go pop
• Do have adult food for the guests present- not everyone likes baby mush. 
• Don’t pop the champagne cork with a noisy flourish but ease it out gently. Loud noises frighten babies. Flying corks are dangerous.
• Do have the party early in the afternoon or late in the morning when baby is in a good mood. Celebrations should be short and sweet around two hours at the maximum so that baby remains cheerful and happy while the grown ups are having fun. 
• Don’t call the entire universe to celebrate your little one’s milestones. Large crowds scare babies and some people find it difficult to say no. This can be burdensome. Have a select guest list of people who mean something to the baby and to whom the baby means something. 
• Do consider the older children who may just be around : Bubbles and Pinatas are a great way to entertain them. 

Finally

Relax – It’s only a party and parties are meant for fun. Don’t work yourself up into a pitch if things don’t go exactly as per schedule. Baby is too small to know the difference anyways.

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I’m participating in WriteTribe’s Festival Of Words #5  a week long festival starting today.

The last  year has been a tumultous year with two new babies joining my family.  Today marks the 1st birthday of the second of them. I thought it only fitting to share tips on how to have a perfect first birthday celebration.

As a hands on granny this year has been a challenge helping raise two almost twin babies ( they’re just 5 weeks apart).  The older sibling at  3 years had a tough time too –  coming to grips with a new sibling. It was also his first year of nursery school.  With all this going on, it definitely  calls for a celebration!