6 Ways the 1st Birthday will Stress you Out

Over the top birthday parties are not new concept. They were the center of parent's secret conversations for years. But what I was surprised to learn is that it is still a problem. Large parties are the norm for so many families while others cut cake with a handful of friends.

If you are new to the parenting thing like me, here are a few tips I've gathered over the last month planning my son's first birthday. I am not an expert on baby birthdays, but my husband is an expert on depression and stress. Some of his clients suffer from social anxiety and birthday parties for children are part of the problem.

Go Big or Go Home
Traveling petting zoo, human-sized Characters, Pony rides OH MY! The list can go on and on for what can embellish the 1st year's birthday party. But going big can be too much stress. I would rather go home!

Tons of Littles
The thought of spending the afternoon with 20 toddlers may excite you or actually scare the pants off of you. Think about that before you send out the invites. We settled on inviting 5 toddlers and 3 couldn't make it. Perfect size party after-all.

Buffet
A little for everyone can drive you crazy if not broke. As long as you serve something from each food group, folks will find something to munch on. Fruit, veggie and a starch will satisfied a vegetarian. Sauces on the side will help those that eat clean, have allergies or are picky. We had a strawberry tray, broccoli tray, burgers with toppings and gold fish crackers.

Matching Others
Last month you attended the dull 1st birthday party of a friend's child so you gotta match that birthday right? Or do you go all out like the party from earlier in the year? Matching the theme, scale or even amount of money spent can send you through the roof. We planned the cost for the first birth at the beginning of the year when we did the year's budget. We went based of what Baby E likes and kept it 'family style'.

Respecting Opinions
Nothing says stress like the infiltration of others. Grandparents want games, your best friend says never to add balloons and your husband wants the theme to be football. Find a respectable way to thanks other's for their opinions and just work with your spouse (or other important person).

Making it Rain
Even if you can afford a $1,000 party, could 'making it rain' cause your friend's to cringe? I never thought of that until a friend mentioned that the family down the street plans big parties every year and she could never match that so she stays away. I on the other hand wouldn't stay away from their parties, but if that family thinks my simple party is too boring, she wont be invited again.

Now that the party is over, I can take a moment and look back with calmness. We rented the party room at our complex for free and cooked right on side. Close family and friends flew into town and were there for the party. The children enjoyed running around just as much as the simple games of bobbin for apples, popping bubbles and drawing with chalk. I enjoyed the day and didn't take a single photo. (I'm not a millennial, my father took all the pics.)

How did you plan your children's first birthday party? Were you totally stressed out for the first child and mellowed out by the last child?