OK so the time has arrived where we are starting to receive invitations to 1st birthday parties from some of our fellow NCT mums. Either I’m a shocking mother or maybe I’m just living in cloud cuckoo land but I wasn’t planning on doing anything for Zara’s first birthday apart from baking a cake with a candle for Daddy, me and Zara to share on her birthday with maybe a few presents. The thought of a party had never entered my mind.

But it seems to be the done thing for mums to organise huge birthday bashes with fancy dress, party games, party food and the whole schbang? Am I really going to be doing Zara a diservice in life by not throwing her a first birthday party of mamouth proportions, am I going to scar her for life? Should I just throw caution to the wind and organise a party complete with limosines and disco?

I suppose one issue I have is that, apart from the odd baby here and there I wouldn’t have a clue who to invite, my family are miles away as are my husbands family. I could probably count the number of guests on one hand so it hardly seems worth the effort and I can’t see Zara giving two hoots whether she gets lots of presents of guests or not.

It’s a tough decision, do I forever brand myself as a mother who just doesn’t make the effort or do I bite my lip and do what seems to be expected?