I couldn't justify throwing a party that my 1-year-old wouldn't remember. My husband and I went to a fancy dinner instead.
A parent explains her decision to forgo extravagant first-birthday parties for her child in favor of a private date night with her husband. She argues against the social pressure to perform parenthood through expensive, Pinterest-worthy events.
Why it matters
It highlights the growing cultural tension between social media-driven parenting expectations and personal financial or lifestyle choices.
The author said she couldn't justify putting a lot of effort into a birthday party her child wouldn't remember. Instead, she and her husband took the opportunity to go on their first date since having a baby and to celebrate how their lives had changed over the past year. Courtesy of Renate Flanagan. Before I was a mom, I had no clue how big birthday parties had gotten for 1-year-olds. My husband and I couldn't justify throwing a party for our son that he wouldn't remember. Instead, we did something we would remember, and celebrated with our first date night post-baby. Before I had a baby, I had no clue that birthday parties for 1-year-olds were even a thing. As my friends started having children, I got invited to their kids' first birthday parties .
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