Pandemic Celebrations: Celebrating my son’s first birthday during the Covid 19 Pandemic: What I learned and How you can make your occasion memorable on a budget.
A first birthday, typically, is an opportunity to show your loved ones how big your child has gotten, the words they’re attempting to say and to show off the production you’ve spent about a year planning which includes a venue, decor, food, games, special invites, a gift registry and depending who you are, a grand entrance and 3 to 5 outfit changes. These days with Instagram, Facebook and even apps like Zoom and phone capabilities like FaceTime more than likely your family and friends have been following your child’s journey from birth to 1st, and with the current health crisis the pressure to produce an extravaganza is on hold, for the time being. I wrote this post to talk about my experience celebrating my son’s first birthday during the Covid 19 pandemic in hopes that my testimony will help a parent navigating their child’s celebration during this time.
No, my son wasn’t held, hugged or fussed over at his 1st birthday party by dozens of friends and family, but I don’t feel like we missed a beat. First, it was very important to me to make his day as fun as possible, because really at his age fun is all he cares about in the moment. So I made sure to celebrate at my sisters house, with his grandmother and my niece who has the energy that 9 year olds tend to have. I also made sure he had plenty of toys to play with. Next, I wanted to make sure that one day he’d be able to look back and see how much he was loved on his 1st birthday. Between going live on Facebook, a movie including videos and photos from his 1st year and the mini photo shoot we did, I knew we’d have enough footage to show him when he’s old enough to understand. In addition to footage, I decided to create a memory book that will include pictures with all of the “Happy Birthday” text and comments from social media. Singing “Happy Birthday” included his grandparents, both paternal and maternal, on FaceTime and a gang of friends and family who joined us via Facebook Live.
Decor: Target & Grocery Store
Games: Toys & Games
Food: Cake (homemade) & Ice Cream
Outfit: Matching Sweatsuits (found in our closets)
There are many unknowns during the Covid-19 pandemic and when it will be safe to have large gatherings again is one of them. Here are a few virtual party options that make for a great yet inexpensive and memorable experience for all.
Set up a private group on Facebook and invite the people you would’ve invited to a live event. Send out mailed or virtual invites. Go live during the festivities and you can save the video and look back on the occasion at a later date. This is a great option if you want to entertain your invitees but don’t want strangers at the party.
Have everyone call into a conference line. Send invites out weeks ahead of time. This is a great option if you want the invitees to be able to see and interact with each other as well as the birthday boy with visuals and audio.
Create a Website
Create a birthday website prior to the actual birthday and share all virtual event updates photos and answer questions directly through the website.
Gift Registry
This is always a great option if you want people to get exactly what your child needs.
Tip: Call before you go.
For decor and other party supplies call in advance to make sure your nearest store has what you need. I had a problem getting latex balloons at the last minute because the grocery store was out and the dollar store doesn’t blow up the balloons with helium. I visited two grocery stores and they were both out of the number “1” birthday candle.
Note: Parents, we are all in some way feeling the effects of the pandemic. Stop putting so much pressure on yourself, only do what you can and know that you are doing the best you can in the situation. The safety of you and your family is more important then any celebration!
