Birthday celebration for non-table food eater

I have always (so far) made cupcakes for my dck's birthdays and we have a little party in the afternoon. I have three little ones close in age and two have just had their birthdays (turnign one) and the third will turn one soon as well. We've had our cupcakes for each one (the parents were fine with it and I make healthy ones), but the last one is not yet on table food...his parents pack his food and he only eats purees and mum mums still...so I can't give him cupcakes. I am wondering how to go about it so that his birthday is celebrated, but not have the others eat his cupcakes in front of him. What do others do for 1 year olds' birthdays?

Why not serve ice cream sundae's give the little one vanilla ice cream (or even better vanilla frozen yoghurt, PC has an amazing one) with colourful sprinkles, while the others are enjoying there cupcakes!

Sue

I had two daycare children turn 1 in the past few months and for the little boy we made a cookie tower with a candle on top. I sent a few cookies home to each daycare family, so nobody ate any here. For the little girl her Mom was here with us when we iced and served cupcakes and she took a few home. I usually do that, let the older children have some of the treat at afternoon snack, skip the babies and divide it and send all of it home or I would eat it!

I do cookies for birthdays rather than cupcakes because it is less messy. I also tend to skip birthdays for one year olds because I believe it is a privilege of the parents to see the reaction to the candle and cake etc. Even with the older ones we don't do candles just a special snack time treat - usually sugar cookies with icing and sprinkles. Sometimes I also serve ice cream if they are all old enough to use spoons.

The problem is, I can't give this little one any of my food as his parents have him on baby food and haven't given me permission to give him anything else except for bananas, which they want me to mash. I guess I can just explain to the parents the reason why we aren't doing cupcakes and send him home his little gift. Like Playfelt, I wait until after the little one's birthday so that the parents have a chance to have their party first...but I don't want to skip it because then it doesn't seem fair when we celebrate the older kids' birthdays.

I don't think celebrating the birthday ruins it for the parents because we also go to a Hallowe'en party at the library every year the morning of or before trick or treating night. I think it prepares the children so they understand better what is happening.

Don't feel bad about not giving any sugar to the baby, I don't give my babies any sugar either.

Given your limitations; I would skip it! The only person that will know is you. It's not like he's going to notice! LoL


As a side note; why does he not eat table food yet? Is there a medical reason or something?

Good point there mom-in-alberta, haha! I have had a one year old in care who was still on pureed food and it was because she didn't have any teeth. But I also had a 10 month old start with me with no teeth who was on all table food. All parents have different expectations for their children but as we nudge them along we catch them all up. 'Teachers of children and parents' is definitely part of our job descriptions.

I agree that skipping it is the best way to go. If the parents say anything about other one year olds getting a party then just tell them it is the food issue and maybe that will encourage them to bring their child up to par with the other kids - teeth come in because kids chew on foods and exercise the gums. Then tell them you will go out of your way to make his second birthday special.

If you give gifts to the children you could still do this part just not the party part. Suit yourself if you do cupcakes for the rest of the kids or make it really fun and give them each a candle to blow out since the baby is too little to do it without help. He will still enjoy the candles from his high chair whether he gets to eat them or not and he is used to watching the others eat different than him so no change from the routine.

You can always just keep it simple, sing happy birthday, simple decorations. I just can't get over they still mash his bananas? I know parents are just protective and many of them are first time parents, but that would annoy me a little bit. I have a family on my street who do the same thing and they have asked me to care for their son, but i had to politely refuse. They are just too over the top for me and I knew it wouldn't be a good mix. Their child is nearly one and if they drive anywhere together, they still have one of them always sit in the backseat with the child in case he cries. Anyhow...way off topic...happy birthday to the little one!

It's so funny that a lot of people think that teeth (having them, and how many) have to do with starting solids/table food. All my kids (so far) have been late teethers. My oldest daughter didn't have any teeth AT ALL until 14 1/2 months. She was eating regular table food by her first birthday, we just had to cut her food up bite size a little longer than usual. If you think about it, we do the actual chewing with our back teeth, which most kids don't get until 1 1/2 to 2 anyway. Can you imagine if we kept kids on soft foods that long!!??
Anyway, I also thought, what about having a treat like juice popsicles or something? Not exactly winter fare, I know, but that might even be part of the fun!!

I agree with you about the teeth Mom-in-Alberta, because I have friends who are providers who tell horror stories about children who are 2 and still eating pureed food. It seems like a whole lot of work to puree all that food when they don't have to do it. That's exactly what I do, just cut the food really small for the 1 year olds.

I know...he doesn't have any teeth so the parents think he can't eat anything. I did try to give them some ideas about starting with puffs and well-cooked veggies, etc, but they don't seem ready to try it. Although I know he could eat real food (my kids were late teethers and ate just fine with no teeth), I am not going to push the issue. It is their choice and hey, they are providing his food, so I guess I should just see it as one less kid to feed. I think I will skip it and just give him his little gift and tell the parents it's because he isn't eating real foods yet. I definitely won't give him anything that the parents haven't authorized as that is opening myself up to huge liability if something happens...not worth it! Eventually he will either get some teeth or they will get tired of pureeing...as long as I don't have to puree it I am okay with it. I think the only thing that worries me is that when he does start eating table food, he may be more prone to choking because he isn't used to it...but I am sure his parents will start him very slowly ;)