BABY’S FIRST BIRTHDAY IDEAS FOR PARENTS

When your baby turns one, you’ve both reached an important milestone… and you might soon realise that for you, as a mum, this is an emotional one!

You might find yourself saving every “first-year-anything” for their memory box, frantically trying to catch up with filling their baby book and get all teary staring at them, praying that you will never, ever forget the feel of their soft skin against your chest.

MAKE THEIR FIRST BIRTHDAY SPECIAL

As you approach the end of the emotional roller-coaster that the first year as a new parent is, you will also start wondering how you can also make their first birthday extra meaningful and special.

If you are here, chances are you have done a bit of Googling and if that’s the case you have also probably ended up scrolling through Pinterest suggestions for a perfectly planned, colour-coordinated extravaganza.

And… yes, you’ve guessed it. We are not going to overwhelm you with “top ten activities” guides or endless checklists to plan their first birthday party.

Instead, let’s look at 5 stress-free ideas to celebrate and cherish this incredible, precious journey your family is on.

START A NEW FAMILY TRADITION

Family traditions are a beautiful way of creating lasting memories to reminisce about in the future, across generations. So, what better way to start than your baby’s first birthday?

Here are some ideas:

1 – A BIRTHDAY LETTER

If you enjoy writing, start with a birthday letter to your little one.

While they won’t be able to read or appreciate it just yet, having a handwritten note from you detailing favourite memories from their first year will be a treasured keepsake down the line.

Of course, you can even get your partner involved!

And since this will become a yearly tradition, you might want to get a little box to keep these memories safe. Should you not already have one you like, the Tiny Box Company is a great place to find ideas.

2 – PLANT SOMETHING

This is an idea many of us discard if a garden isn’t in the cards just yet… but actually, you don’t even need outdoor space!

You can start with something smaller than a tree, flowers or herbs for example, and let your little one dig into the dirt with you while you other half snaps away.

Alternatively, you can use websites like One Tree Planted to plant trees for you for as little as $1 (they even issue a certificate for you).

3 – CREATE A MEMORY BOOK

And get your loved ones involved!

By the end of your baby’s first year, your phone will be overflowing with cute snaps and there is a chance that this is also the case for your extended family.

Ask them to send you a photo of their favourite memory with your birthday boy or girl and tell you what makes it so special to them.

Ensure to have all of these photos printed out and collect them in a nice album or a box, for your little one to have when they grow up.

… AND GET SOME PHOTOS DONE RIGHT!

Sure, phones are great to snap a few shots at home, but these memories are way too precious for you to only rely on your phone camera!

Imagine your little one, not little anymore, looking at your family album 30 years from now: would you want them to only find faded photographs where one important person of the family is always missing (someone’s got to take those photos!)?

There are a couple of options for you in this sense:

1 – A CAKE (OR FRUIT) SMASH SESSION

Fun, frosting and bubbles (soapy ones, before you ask!) … What more could you want for a birthday?

Cake Smash photoshoots are a parents’ favourite when it comes to celebrating the first birthday as giving your baby a fun, exciting and new activity is ideal for creating some truly adorable candid portraits.

Cake Smashes at Slice of Life Photography are even more special because include 3 sessions in one:

1 – A Mini Sitter 

To capture some simple portraits of your little one in their birthday finery.

2 – Introducing… the Cake!

Time for some fun! We’ll bring the cake in and capture some “messy”, fun shots. And if you prefer a more natural alternative, we can replace the cake with fruit! 

Finally, a little tub time in a wonderful child size roll top bath to allow your little one to clean up and relax.

2 – A FAMILY SESSION

 If you want to focus more on classic fmily portraits, then a Family Photoshoot might be the best choice for you.

This session focuses more on the family, including siblings and parents in the poses, to capture timeless portraits that you can cherish forever.

Since the feel and look of these two sessions (Cake Smash & Splash and Family Photoshoot) is so different, many families choose to book both at different stages of the first two years of the baby’s life… with the Cake Smash done around the baby’s first birthday.

As a mum myself, I know what a whirlwind of emotions and events your first year as a parent is… and I also know how incredible and amazing some moments are.

Those are memories you will keep with you forever, regardless of how you choose to celebrate your baby’s first birthday.

 And if you want to know more about how I can help you capture some of those moments with a Cake Smash or a Family Photoshoot, get in touch!