1st Birthday - NO friends, Need ideas!

[Squiggy]

I have a situation
This is my first baby's first birthday (in August) and I have no idea what to do!!
I have NO friends and NO other children to invite!! NONE!!

I want to throw my son a traditional party but with no one to invite it doesn't exactly make sense and I think it would just break my heart.
Does a 1-year old even eat cake? My son is 10months and he's still on stage 2 baby food, he doesn't like the chunky stage 3 foods, he's just now showing interest in "big people" food, but then acts like he's being tortured when you let him try things.

Anyway, please help me with ideas on what to do for my baby's first birthday because I'm just lost here!

 

[TryinFor1]

Family? I only have a couple friends, DH only has a couple friends and they all came but family was our main guests.

Mine didn't eat cake. He hated it. I still offered since it was his birthday but it wasn't a hit at all. He still doesn't like sweets.

 

[MindUtopia]

I'd just have a special day with family. Go out to a favourite place for lunch and to do something fun. We had a small party with the grandparents, a few friends, and then a couple kids, but I purposely didn't invite many people as I wanted to keep it small and personal. Honestly, I hardly spoke to anyone because I was so busy organising the food and the cake and making sure my daughter got fed. I'm glad we did do a little party, but you can make the day special just with family. It doesn't have to be a huge event. I've been to a couple 1st birthdays that had like 20 kids there. It was utter chaos and you could barely even have a conversation with anyone because there was so much going on. As for a cake, no, a 1 year old probably doesn't need a cake (though my daughter did have a small slice of hers), but it's more for the adults. It's fun to have for pictures and singing happy birthday and blowing out the candles (with help!). It's not necessary, but it certainly makes it feel like a birthday. You don't have to go crazy and make anything from scratch though. Just buy a cake you adults enjoy and throw some candles on it.

 

[Jes.shortcake]

My LO's party will be mainly family. As for cake..I'm sure he'll be playing with the cake more then eating it.

 

[Bex84]

I would do with family. For my lo's first we went to zoo with family and had picnic and cake. For my lo she would have found a party over whelming. Its only now that lo is turning 3 I will be doing a little birthday lunch and cake for her friends and its only a small group and will go to farm first. Before we have just done activities out.

 

[annio84]

we're having a family bbq to celebrate. I think 1st birthdays are more for the parents personally. Babies don't know it's different to any other day.

 

[george83]

My lo didn't have any friends for his first birthday either. On his actual birthday me my oh and lo went to the zoo for a family day and then the weekend after we had a BBQ. We invited my immediate family, oh's immediate family and my best friend and that was it. Oh's family didn't even turn up but it made it a more special day for me knowing it was people who genuinely cared. I did a cake for him but that was more for my part than his, I wanted it to be a 'traditional' party.

In reality lo won't really remember so whatever you decide to do is more for you so make sure you enjoy it and don't stress too much.

 

[liz1985]

I would go out somewhere nice, aquarium, zoo or other place you think lo will enjoy. Then if your close to your families invite them round for cake.

 

[Snow Owl]

Even if he doesn't eat the cake, the pics of him smashing it would be fun

 

[Smiler82]

My LO's birthday is in August too I am deliberately not inviting any of his 'friends'!! It would be too much IMO and I don't want any of the mums to feel like they have to buy him a present if I were to invite them all and their babies (and then I would have to buy presents for all of the other babies on their 1st birthdays too ) So for us, we are having a special day just me, DH and LO on his actual birthday, then the next day we are inviting close family only for a little party. I am definitely going to make him a cake but that's just for my own pleasure really! I love baking and can't wait to do his 1st ever birthday cake. But I am fully aware he'll hardly touch it! Will just be nice to have some photos.

 

[alicecooper]

It's my little one's birthday today

He has been playing outside in his playpen in the front garden for much of the morning with his 4 year old brother Jason, and some of the neighbourhood kids whose schools are on strike came up to wish him a happy birthday.

We have the window decorated with balloons.

He's gone down for a nap now and I've made him a chocolate cake and put a "1" candle in it.

When my eldest two kids get back from school, we're going to give him his presents in the front garden and I'm going to film him doing that.

Then after that we're going to walk to the local soft-play for all my 4 kids to have a play.

We'll then be returning home, having dinner, and I'm going to film him blowing out his candle whilst we sing to him.

Then there will be some devouring of cake.

And that's it

Tomorrow we're going to go visit MIL and I'm sure he'll get some more presents there.

Sunday my mother is coming round for a visit and we'll go for a walk if it's not raining. (It's her birthday tomorrow, so no doubt there'll be more cake involved!)

Pretty simple really. A 1 year old doesn't even realise it's their birthday, you don't need a huge great big fuss. Save the big parties for when they're older and wanting to invite all their school friends!

 

[Dragonfly]

I have a 1 year old in Aug too. And only their siblings and 2 neighbor kids going and rest are all adults. As they get older they will get more friends. First birthdays in my house where always more adults. And since when my son was at school you where not allowed to invite class mates it was always was adults. I am having a vintage style party in my garden weather pending.

 

[jd83]

It doesn't have to be an elaborate affair. You could just plan a really nice, fun family day. Take him somewhere he'd really enjoy. Get him a smash cake to make a mess with. It's iffy whether he'll actually eat it, some do, some don't. But most enjoy mashing it up with their hands. Get him some balloons. I think both my boys enjoyed their birthday balloons more than any of the gifts at their 1st birthday parties They carried them around for DAYS!

 

[Rosie06]

for my DD's 1st birthday i had family only and didnt invite any children delibratley i wanted it to be all about her and her been the center of attention without any other children been in the way (proberbly sounds selfish i know!) the day before her birthday we took her to a farm for the day and the day of her birthday we had family round for tea and cake! i think if theres too many ppl there it gets too overwhelming for them at that age x

 

[misspriss]

We had 100% family at ours, DS doesn't have any friends and I don't have any friends with kids...

It was kind of just a big BBQ/show off new house party too, it was a blast. We did have a cake, he played in it, maybe ate some. We do BLW, so he knew how to eat, but...

There was one other child there, my husband's first cousin once removed...(would that make it DS' second cousin?) Who is 4 months older than DS.

 

[alicecooper]

There was one other child there, my husband's first cousin once removed...(would that make it DS' second cousin?) Who is 4 months older than DS.

Yes that'd be second cousin

 

[mummy2o]

For my son's first birthday we had a teddy bears picnic in the garden at nannie's house. Was just family and it was fine. He had as good a day as any others. You'll find as children get old and start going to nursery/pre-school etc they'll find their own friends naturally.

 

[Seity]

We bought a little ice cream cake and my husband and I shared it with our baby for his first birthday. 4 years later, still don't have any friends, so we still just celebrate with a small dessert after dinner. We don't have any family nearby either, so it's always just us.

 

[Midnight_Fairy]

We done a family day out xx

 

[Dolly84]

My lo will be 1 29th aug and were planning on taking him to the blue planet aquarium just me ds and oh, and once were back home just close family can come round for a slice of cake and ds can play with his baloons lol xxx