Better location for a first birthday party?

[Easy Mac]

Not having previously learned my lesson of never challenging the ideas of an infant's mother, I've now come up with what I believe is a freaking awesome plan for our daughter's first birthday.

The current framework for the party is to have immediate family over to our house for late lunch/early dinner burgers and hot dogs. We're going to let the 3 older kids run around (they're boys 8 and 5, girl 6) and have to two baby's crawl around. Needless to say, my nephews are insane kamikazes who listen to no one, so I really don't want them destroying my house (and destroy they will). I mean, how can we keep them entertained for a few hours.

I came up with the following great idea this morning, which I relayed to the wife, and which she succinctly shot down via text with a simple "no.":

Our alma mater plays their first football game of the season on the day we plan on having the party. My idea is to have the party pre-game, like a tailgate at the stadium. It's perfect. My sister and her husband went there as well, so that gives the nephews something to do (destroy the ground around the stadium). It would also have an event, so that my family isn't driving 4 combined hours just so they can see my daughter for 2 hours. Plus it would be my girl's first football game (I already have a onesie).

This is a fool proof plan, right?

[Suicane75]

If you mean proof you're a fool, then yes.

But really, not the greatest of ideas.

[johnnyshaka]

Pack up the food and hit a local park and make a picnic out of it. Kids can destroy the park...you get to visit with your family...win, win. Bring a football if you like. :)

If it rains, cancel the birthday party...the kid will never know.

[whomario]

"Honey, let´s have our daughters birthday and i still won´t miss watching football, it´s perfect !"

From personal experience, anything that conveniently combines a big emotional event with an activity you like is a bad idea, it´s like saying you don´t think the birthday alone would be worth spending time and effort on (from a woman´s perspective)

[Ksyrup]

Every one year old should have a set of pics of them in their highchair at home smearing cake all over their faces. Plus, having it at a taligate party before a football game takes the focus away from the kid. I'd save the argument for something much better. Just my .02 cents.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Sounds like it would work okay up to the point that you find out how big a pain sporting events can be with most kids 5, 6, and 8. It also can turn into an expensive proposition (depending on the price of tix, the constant stream of concessions for most kids at games) as well as one that's subject to disaster if you get crappy weather.

[Ksyrup]

"Honey, let´s have our daughters birthday and i still won´t miss watching football, it´s perfect !"

From personal experience, anything that conveniently combines a big emotional event with an activity you like is a bad idea, it´s like saying you don´t think the birthday alone would be worth spending time and effort on (from a woman´s perspective)

Exactly. This is roughly equivalent to Homer giving Marge a bowling ball for her birthday.

[wade moore]

Thank god if I ever have kids it will be a requirement that they attend all of my alma mater's home football games, so this would be a non-issue.

[DanGarion]

Don't see an issue with it. Better than taking her to Chuck E. Cheese or some other place she won't remember because she's only ONE FRICKEN year old. :)

[Easy Mac]

I'm defending myself by saying that my wife, daughter and I are doing our own thing on our daughter's acutal birthday (the day after the game). We're going to go to the zoo, have lunch and desert, basically hang out as a family. The party is really just to have family involved, but its just the core 3 on her birthday.

[cartman]

It is never too early to start celebrating birthdays in Vegas.

[Chief Rum]

It is never too early to start celebrating birthdays in Vegas.

Indeed, I am already celebrating my future kids' birthdays. Since I am uncertain which days they'll be born on, I go as often as possible.

[Comey]

Hooters.

[Easy Mac]

Indeed, I am already celebrating my future kids' birthdays. Since I am uncertain which days they'll be born on, I go as often as possible.

I would guess about 40 weeks after you visit Vegas.

[Swaggs]

If you have already conceded gamedays to your wife, you are probably not ever going to get them back. :(

[Easy Mac]

If you have already conceded gamedays to your wife, you are probably not ever going to get them back. :(

Aside from the baby's birthday, I haven't. I can't believe I broke my one rule, no births during football, baseball, or march madness. Of course, I didn't mean to break it.

[Lathum]

You really thought she would go for this?

Also, When the hell did Suicane come back.

[DanGarion]

Hooters.

We have a friend that always gets a picture of their son with the girls from Hooters and they send that out as their Christmas card.

[DaddyTorgo]

You really thought she would go for this?

Also, When the hell did Suicane come back.

Recently.

[johnnyshaka]

Aside from the baby's birthday, I haven't. I can't believe I broke my one rule, no births during football, baseball, or march madness. Of course, I didn't mean to break it.

I hear ya...my first was born the day the Oilers took the Sharks to numerous OTs and won and eventually turned things around on their way to losing in Game Seven.

I told my wife she was "cutoff" until further notice after pulling a stunt like that.

[Kodos]

Yeah, my daughter's birthday falls right in the middle of the NFL playoffs. Poor planning.

[Comey]

We have a friend that always gets a picture of their son with the girls from Hooters and they send that out as their Christmas card.

Obviously they know that class comes in tight orange shorts and leggings that were inspired by Tina Turner.

[Sgran]

I took my daughter, around 5 at the time if I remember correctly, to a friend's football game. She made it through the first half and then we hit the park. I considered it a success. 3 kids and 2 babies? forget it.

[stevew]

I'd say the amount of stimulus and decibel level of a sporting event would not be good for a child.

[stevew]

Yeah, my daughter's birthday falls right in the middle of the NFL playoffs. Poor planning.at least you haven't had to choose between her and the LOLphins in the playoffs that much recently.

[RainMaker]

Have no kids but seen many at games I've attended. I could understand getting one through a game, but that's a lot of kids to get through a game in one piece. I think you'd be lucky to get through a half of football before major problems arise.

I'd suggest something more stress-free. Maybe having everyone watch the game in the living room during the party while the kids play.

[Lathum]

I'd say the amount of stimulus and decibel level of a sporting event would not be good for a child.

I think it depends in the kid. My 4 month old has been to 4 baseball games thus summer with no problems.

[Passacaglia]

I'd say the amount of stimulus and decibel level of a sporting event would not be good for a child.

I think it depends in the kid. My 4 month old has been to 4 baseball games thus summer with no problems.

Probably true. We've taken our baby to a music festival, and it worked fine -- for acts that were loud, we just hung out further from the stage. And I know a couple who take their baby to Cubs games all the time. But I'm getting worried about this November -- we're planning to take him to a Purdue game in November, when he'll be 7.5 months, and I forgot about that stupid cannon.

[Lathum]

Yeah. We are going to the giants seahawks game in November and the crowd gets really loud.

[tarcone]

Rent One of those bounce houses. Or maybe two of them. Stick them in your backyard. Send the kids outside.
1st birthdays should be at your house with, as an earlier poster said, The pix of the cake in the face.

Our neighbor owns a couple of those inflatibles. One is a house to bounce in and the other is a big water slide. Kids absolutely love these.

[JeeberD]

My son was born smack in the middle of the UTEP-OU basketball game this past season. My dad was giving me score updates as the wife was trying to push...

[Passacaglia]

I hear they make cameras that work on batteries now, so you can get a picture of cake on his face wherever you want.

There'll be tons of pictures of him taken at your house, but a picture of his 1st birthday at the game will give the kid a glimpse into your personality when he looks back at it.

[Pumpy Tudors]

Exactly. This is roughly equivalent to Homer giving Marge a bowling ball for her birthday.
Wait, what's wrong with that??

[Karlifornia]

Do it at your house.

[Passacaglia]

Exactly. This is roughly equivalent to Homer giving Marge a bowling ball for her birthday.

Wait, it's the kid's birthday, not the wife's, right? And the kid is his, too, right? The kid's not going to care if the party is at the house or the game. I don't even really see this as getting to have it both ways and have the party while still not missing football, because I'd imagine he won't get to see much of the game with all the kids around (in fact, it might be best to tailgate then just relax in the parking lot and not even go to the game); rather it's just a potentially fun place to have the party.

[RendeR]

If you mean proof you're a fool, then yes.

But really, not the greatest of ideas.


This.


Kids first birthday, should be you, her mom, your home and whomever you parents choose to invite.

If yer really worried about the kids wrecking the place start the party at 4pm, food at 5pm, everyone goes home at 6pm.

Simple.

[Butter]

The kid is one, it'll have a great time no matter where you have it as long as you and your wife are there.

[Ksyrup]

Wait, it's the kid's birthday, not the wife's, right? And the kid is his, too, right? The kid's not going to care if the party is at the house or the game. I don't even really see this as getting to have it both ways and have the party while still not missing football, because I'd imagine he won't get to see much of the game with all the kids around (in fact, it might be best to tailgate then just relax in the parking lot and not even go to the game); rather it's just a potentially fun place to have the party.

I don't really care one way or the other - the bottom line is whether both of the parents are OK with it, and here that doesn't seem to be the case - but the first birthday has little to do with the child (no one remembers their first birthday) and everything to do with the family. The kid's first birthday is similar to a wedding - if it was up to a guy, we'd just save the money. But no, it's about the wife's/family's memories. Having the first birthday at a football game reaks of "dad's priority was the game, and he found a way to not compromise his priority." Unless, again, the mom is completely on board with it.

If I thought this was a good idea, and my wife said no, I'd drop it.

[Passacaglia]

I don't really care one way or the other - the bottom line is whether both of the parents are OK with it, and here that doesn't seem to be the case - but the first birthday has little to do with the child (no one remembers their first birthday) and everything to do with the family. The kid's first birthday is similar to a wedding - if it was up to a guy, we'd just save the money. But no, it's about the wife's/family's memories. Having the first birthday at a football game reaks of "dad's priority was the game, and he found a way to not compromise his priority." Unless, again, the mom is completely on board with it.

If I thought this was a good idea, and my wife said no, I'd drop it.

I totally agree -- I'm not saying he should definitely get his way on this one, I just disagree with the thinking that his desire should be dismissed without thought. He's one of the parents, and his idea is as valid as his wife's. All I know about Easy Mac's wife was from a thread where she seemed overprotective of the baby, so I assumed that's why she's against the idea -- for all we know, she may be just as interested in the football game as everyone else attending the party is. I would also drop it if I mentioned it to my wife and she didn't want to do it, but I disagree with a lot of the notions in here about what a kid's first birthday party should be, and that trying to deviate from that is wrong somehow.

[Easy Mac]

I totally agree -- I'm not saying he should definitely get his way on this one, I just disagree with the thinking that his desire should be dismissed without thought. He's one of the parents, and his idea is as valid as his wife's. All I know about Easy Mac's wife was from a thread where she seemed overprotective of the baby, so I assumed that's why she's against the idea -- for all we know, she may be just as interested in the football game as everyone else attending the party is. I would also drop it if I mentioned it to my wife and she didn't want to do it, but I disagree with a lot of the notions in here about what a kid's first birthday party should be, and that trying to deviate from that is wrong somehow.

oh, it has been dropped. She wants to go to football games, but she doesn't want to take the baby out if its too hot, during the day, or at night. So if they can play games at like 9 or 10 a.m., we're set.

[Easy Mac]

oh, and I'm just grilling for the b-day. Trying to think of something for my nephews to do in the field across the street, so they can run around out there.

The next day the wife and I are going to the zoo and the park with the kid. Then we're probably going to the ATL the next weekend for the aquarium and a braves game.