Pointless thread about 1st birthdays.

[3 ladybugs]

What is the appeal of the smash cake? To me this is a disgusting tradition that makes me physically ill to think about. Needless to say, my children didn't do it. But it seems to be the norm to give a child a cake to make them make a HUGE mess with it and get very little of it in the mouth. 

 

So am I alone or what is the appeal of this?

[HomeAgain]

It's a photo-op.  Nothing more.  It's used the same way to commemorate the day as, say, the common photo of a bride/groom feeding each other cake.  There's no point to it, but it is a tradition.

[Carol in Cal.]

I've only seen it once, but I thought it was a way to include the child, and kind of cute.

I consider cake to be a waste anyway, so that didn't bother me.

But I didn't do it, IIRC.

[Barb_]

One grocery bakery, I forget, Publix? Used to include a free tiny round cake with the purchase of a first birthday cake. That was cute and saved the big cake.

[SKL]

Not smash per se, but yes, we have a tradition to let the baby have at a piece of cake (not a whole cake) on the 1st birthday.  It's interesting to see how differently they approach it.  We don't tell the kids what to do, just watch with cameras ready.  Some kids are quite delicate about it and some seem a little afraid of it, LOL.  Then there are those who dive right in.  :)

[Mothersweets]

I know just what you're talking about and I think it is dumb.  OP, I don't see the appeal either.  :confused1:

 

It seems to have become really popular maybe in the last ten years or so? I honestly don't remember anyone doing this back when my kids were babies (back when dinosaurs roamed the earth and hey! you kids get off my lawn!).

 

 

[Barb_]

I have pictures of me and my slice of 1st birthday cake in 1970 :) It's nothing new

 

ETA This could be one of those regional traditions that people have only started to learn about since social media

Edited September 10, 2017 by Barb_

[Caroline]

I have pictures of me and my slice of 1st birthday cake in 1970 :) It's nothing new

I have pictures of me and my smash cake from 1970, also. And my mom from 1940.

[maize]

it's fun to watch the kids get excited about their cake.

 

What is the point of any tradition really? Traditions are grounding, they don't have to have meaning in and of themselves.

[Bluegoat]

I have pictures of me and my slice of 1st birthday cake in 1970 :) It's nothing new

 

ETA This could be one of those regional traditions that people have only started to learn about since social media

 

Sure, I've seen and heard of older examples of giving the kid a slice of cake.  Since they are 1, some smash it.

 

But the whole cake thing seems to be a newer thing to me.  I first saw it about 12 years ago.

 

OP - yeah, I find it kind of gross, in the more conceptual sense.  I think it just seems to wasteful to me, I am really sensitive to treating food that way.

Edited September 10, 2017 by Bluegoat

[Barb_]

One grocery bakery, I forget, Publix? Used to include a free tiny round cake with the purchase of a first birthday cake. That was cute and saved the big cake.

Oh, lol. Apparently this is the thing now. I've been out of infant and toddler circles for almost a decade. Carry on.

[medawyn]

Do you do no cake? Just a slice? Birthday fruit?

 

We're cupcake people for birthdays here, because we don't do parties and I don't want 2/3 of a cake leftover. Baby always gets a cupcake for his or her first birthday. The bigger kids like to watch and eat theirs. Mom always gets a cupcake to celebrate everyone surviving another year. It's not a huge production, although I try to snap a cupcake + candle photo so I have proof one day that I didn't forget a birthday. It's usually no more mess than any other one year old meal.

[Barb_]

Sure, I've seen and heard of older examples of giving the kid a slice of cake. Since they are 1, some smash it.

 

But the whole cake thing seems to be a newer thing to me. I first saw it about 12 years ago.

 

OP - yeah, I find it kind of gross, in the more conceptual sense. I think it just seems to wasteful to me, I am really sensitive to treating food that way.

Big cakes, yeah. But is that a big thing? I just googled images and the big cake smashes look like they are mostly for professional photographs? I wouldn't be thrilled about wasting a large cake either. But those little 4 inch cakes are cute.

[3 ladybugs]

I remember my sister having one back in 1990. I also remember thinking I was going to be ill watching her. I was SOOO glad I didn't have to clean her up afterwards. To this day though, I have issues and refuse to let my boys eat a frosted cookie or heavily frosted items without my DH agreeing to clean them up afterwards. 

[catz]

I don't think it's new either.  In the olden days, people just gave the baby a piece of cake.  The difference now is someone as marketed it and given it a special name.  I don't remember it different than feeding a 1 year old on any other day.  It's always messy when babies are self feeding.  :lol:  If someone literally puts a very large cake in front of a baby, well that's just nuts.  I made each of my kids a little applesauce cake with cream cheese frosting and had a guest cake.  

 

First birthdays are really about whatever the parents want and creating memories and photo ops for them.  I'm pretty sure 1 year olds don't care if that birthday is acknowledged or not. 

[SamanthaCarter]

I had never seen anyone give a whole cake to a baby for his first birthday until recently. I thought one just gave the baby a piece and watched what he would do.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[3 ladybugs]

My first son had a Klondike bar. He loved chocolate so we decided to give that to him. He did make a mess with it, and it melted and he cried. My second son had a TON of allergies at the time. So I made him a 7 layer bar that was allergy friendly. 

[SKL]

Yeah, I think what is "new" is the whole cake / teaching them to smash it parts.  I have seen parents tell their babies to smash and smear vs. watching to see what they do with it.  So that is different, and I think it's weird, but only because it's different from what I grew up with.  :P

 

For that matter, the idea of having a birthday "party" (vs. a cake after dinner with the family) is odd to me, especially for kids who are too young to understand it.  So far my kids have had 18 consecutive birthdays without such a "party" and they seem none the worse for it.  :P

[Bluegoat]

Big cakes, yeah. But is that a big thing? I just googled images and the big cake smashes look like they are mostly for professional photographs? I wouldn't be thrilled about wasting a large cake either. But those little 4 inch cakes are cute.

 

The way I've seen it is it's a cake for the kid to smash, it might be smaller (like not a giant sheet cake) but it is a whole cake.

 

It isn't just the kid who happens to make a mess of the slice from the cake he or she gets instead of eating it.

 

I've not seen anyone do it with an actual professional photographer, just kids at home with the parent taking a picture. (I've seen fancy photos but don't really know anyone who has done that.)

[Barb_]

Yeah, I think what is "new" is the whole cake / teaching them to smash it parts. I have seen parents tell their babies to smash and smear vs. watching to see what they do with it. So that is different, and I think it's weird, but only because it's different from what I grew up with. :P

 

For that matter, the idea of having a birthday "party" (vs. a cake after dinner with the family) is odd to me, especially for kids who are too young to understand it. So far my kids have had 18 consecutive birthdays without such a "party" and they seem none the worse for it. :P

I agree, watching them figure it out themselves is the point. So cute. Once one begins to stage manage children to raise the cuteness factor, the cuteness factor ceases to exist.

[Barb_]

The way I've seen it is it's a cake for the kid to smash, it might be smaller (like not a giant sheet cake) but it is a whole cake.

 

It isn't just the kid who happens to make a mess of the slice from the cake he or she gets instead of eating it.

 

I've not seen anyone do it with an actual professional photographer, just kids at home with the parent taking a picture. (I've seen fancy photos but don't really know anyone who has done that.)

Yeah, that's what I'm talking about too. I don't see the difference between handing a baby a slice of cake to eat or a cupcake, or a prettily decorated tiny cake?

[Carrie12345]

I LOVE the smash cake.

My family's tradition when I was growing up (including when I was 1, lol) was to let the birthday child stick their hands in THE birthday cake.  You know, the one guests are expected to eat.  :huh:   I love me some baby goo, but not on my cake.

My babies each got their own to goo all over the place without impacting anyone else's dessert.  

[TrixieB]

The tradition of giving a one-year-old their own cake has been around for a while.  I baked my brother his very own first birthday cake in my Easy Bake oven, and I decorated it with animal crackers.

[Barb_]

The tradition of giving a one-year-old their own cake has been around for a while. I baked my brother his very own first birthday cake in my Easy Bake oven, and I decorated it with animal crackers.

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[SKL]

The cupcake idea is cute, but we always baked a cake so there was no single cupcake to be had.

 

That reminds me though - my kids' nanny used to bring them a huge massive (store-bought) cupcake with way too much colored frosting and give it to them.  Not only for birthdays, but for other occasions too.  She thought it was the cutest thing and thought I would agree.  Nobody even likes eating that kind of frosting, so the kids didn't even like it because the cake part was so buried.  One of my kids just balked, but the other one would smear it.  And most annoying of all, that food coloring stains, so those stupid cupcakes permanently ruined some things that didn't need to be ruined.  :P  You can see I still have issues about it.  :P

[Bluegoat]

Yeah, that's what I'm talking about too. I don't see the difference between handing a baby a slice of cake to eat or a cupcake, or a prettily decorated tiny cake?

 

I feel like giving the baby a slice of cake is having him participate in the communal eating.  And the idea is that he'll eat it - if he makes a mess, that's secondary.

 

I don't really see the party as something where I need to create a photo op - the photos happen because of the party, not the other way round.  And I'm nt keen on encouraging wasting food on purpose, so why would I give something separate with that in mind?

 

If everyone gets a cupcake, that's a little different - that's then the party treat.

[marbel]

So, I googled "smash cake" because I thought I didn't know what this was.  But it's just giving a kid cake on the birthday and letting them eat (or play) with it?  So it turns out I've participated in it. When my kids turned 1 (in 1998 and 2001) we gave them a cupcake for their birthday cake and let them deal with it as they wished.  (We all had cupcakes so the kid was not deprived of "real" cake.)   I think that was always something some people did (and some people didn't do).  

 

But I guess now it's a social media thing?   For the photo op, as Bluegoat says?  

 

 

[historically accurate]

We did cupcakes here, so I didn't have to make 2 cakes. None of my kids really smashed it though, as none of my kids were eating much solid food at 1 year. One of them wouldn't even touch it, and the other 2 just licked their fingers after touching it, IIRC. Alas, no great photo ops here.

 

I had a separate little cake back in 1975, so I don't know that they are a new phenomenon. Pretty sure my brother had one a few years before.

 

I don't see any difference between a separate cake or a cupcake or a slice of cake. Put it in front of the kid and see what happens. I would draw the line at allowing a kid to explore the only cake that everyone has to share.

[Bluegoat]

I find it a bit weird that the kid wants to explore it at all. 

 

My kids would be eating that cake.

[wintermom]

My dc managed to make a great deal of mess with just one small piece of cake and no instructions from any adults. Then again, they made a mess with a lot of their meals. Maybe the mess on a 1st birthday is just an opportunity to capture the moment in the child's life to remember and laugh.  

 

I don't remember getting any photos of the dog under the child's chair appreciating the food falling down just for them.  :laugh:

[maize]

I find it a bit weird that the kid wants to explore it at all.

 

My kids would be eating that cake.

Sensory fun!

 

Did your kids not play in mud? So fun and squishy. Cake with frosting is fun for all the senses, not just taste.

[historically accurate]

I find it a bit weird that the kid wants to explore it at all. 

 

My kids would be eating that cake.

None of my kids ate much besides milk at their first birthday. They had had some tiny pieces of veggies and fruits, cheerios and possibly some Gerber Puffs at 1 year old, so for them, it was total exploration. None of them had ever had an entire cupcake before - totally new to them. None of mine ate their first birthday cupcake.

[Bluegoat]

Sensory fun!

 

Did your kids not play in mud? So fun and squishy. Cake with frosting is fun for all the senses, not just taste.

 

The cake might get squished some, but mostly they'd be into eating it. It would be messy, but in their bellies.

 

But, I pretty much give them all the adult food from the time they are 6 months, so they  know it's best use by a year.

[teachermom2834]

I remember people putting the cake in front of baby and letting the birthday kid grab a piece out of the cake. Then someone would wisk the cake away and cut pieces that weren't handled by baby to share with guests. That was 35 years ago. People weren't so concerned with germs.

 

I think my kids had a piece put in front of them that they made a mess with.

 

Now people get a whole individual cake, some bigger than others. I think it makes a more dramatic photo op as social media encourages and just goes along with how things just seem to progress to bigger, better, more expensive.

 

But it does seem a bit much to this grumpy middle aged lady. Just seems like waste and excess. Let a baby eat cake with her hands? Sure! But a special quarter sheet for a photo session. Not for me. But to each their own.

[heartlikealion]

We gave our kids a small piece of cake/dessert to eat and didn't call it a smash cake. We hoped they ate it and didn't make a  huge mess. I have seen the "smash cake" photos all over facebook. Not my thing. Or the fancy outfits they wear when they do it. We pretty much have the kids shirtless for cake Lol

 

*or their own mini size/small dessert that was not part of a larger cake

Edited September 10, 2017 by heartlikealion

[Terabith]

My oldest was fastidious and barely touched her slice of cake and didn't want to eat it.  She seemed thoroughly grossed out by the whole business. 

 

My younger one made a huge mess, smashing and smearing and devouring hers.  She loved every second of it. 

 

Both got slices of a larger cake, not a smash cake. 

[Rosika]

I didn't let my kids eat cake on their first birthdays  :lol: I just don't figure they need to.  (No one has ever confused me for a fun or nice parent. LOL)

 

We have a first birthday coming up later this year. My teenage and adult kids insisted on planning the party. They don't want the baby to grow up so "deprived" as "they were." They're going to give him his own cupcake. I bet he's not going to show any interest in it, but they don't believe me. None of them were very interested in solid foods at that age. This baby is no different. They'll see that soon enough!

 

We attend birthday parties with these smash cakes because it's a "thing" where we live. I love watching the little babies go at it. But if I were inclined, I think I'd just do a slice of the regular cake. I'm cheap like that. 

[Janeway]

I never saw such a thing until I met my inlaws. I also think it is wasteful.

[Barb_]

I feel like giving the baby a slice of cake is having him participate in the communal eating. And the idea is that he'll eat it - if he makes a mess, that's secondary.

 

I don't really see the party as something where I need to create a photo op - the photos happen because of the party, not the other way round. And I'm nt keen on encouraging wasting food on purpose, so why would I give something separate with that in mind?

 

If everyone gets a cupcake, that's a little different - that's then the party treat.

Yeah I think it's dumb to give a baby a cake to destroy on purpose, slice, cupcake, tiny cake or whatever. The point is to eat the thing.

 

It's funny how some little ones do the pinch, poke, lick thing and others reach in with both fists and an expression of utter delight.

[My4arrows]

I've done it with all four of mine, both at their party and for a photo shoot. For my kids, they were exclusively breastfeed until a year (or past) so this was their first experience with food. A fun memory for us all, lots of pictures and yes they were messy. I typically made them either a small cake of their own or a cupcake and the rest of the guests had a different cake. I know it's not for everyone but we and our guests found it cute and fun.

[Ausmumof3]

No I think cake smash usually references giving baby the whole massive cake and photographing the results and I don't get it either. Just yuck...

 

I also don't get into messy face photos. Maybe that's because clean faces seemed to be such a rare event when mine were babies!

[Annie G]

Around here it's a big deal to have a special smash cake made and sit for a professional photographer about a week before the actual birthday. That way the pics can be ready for the birthday party. It seems overboard to me, but since I make cakes for people, I keep my mouth shut when a mom hires me to make a smash cake for the photos. Not going to bite the hand that feeds me, ya know.  I do think the trend is waning, but two years ago it was ALL the rage. 

 

 

[rebcoola]

I think it must be regional I had never heard of it.  My MIL got oldest DD one for her birthday at the family reunion in Iowa and they all seemed to be used to the tradition.  

[Julie Smith]

Eldest got a big, huge piece of cake on his birthday.

 

Mind you, his cake said, "Happy Birthday L...." The cake was meant for my grandmother to share with all the people on the floor of her old age home she was in. But she was having a bad day/week behaviour and memory wise and it was decided that trying to give her a brithday celebration would have a negative effect on her.

 

So the cake was given to Eldest instead. Since it was me at to feed about 30 people, it was way to much for the 7 of us. So he was allowed to smash up a lot of it. Made him happy.

[ErinE]

I made all my children a little cake for their first birthday. Only one of the four has actually ever "smashed" the cake. The rest were too nervous about the ruckus and barely touched the cake.

 

I made a big batch of apple spiced cake batter. Part of the batter went into small pans for the birthday child, and the rest went into a larger sheet cake for everyone else. I don't normally make a huge production of birthdays, but the little fully decorated cake makes for memorable photos. I love it and relatives seem to like it as well. The in-laws in particular are nervous about children germs so they appreciate a slice of unhandled cake.

Edited September 11, 2017 by ErinE

[brehon]

My niece turned one this year and my SIL spent hours making her smash cake. It was a small round cake and my brother & SIL were *really*, REALLY looking forward to taking pictures of my niece demolishing and devouring that cake.

 

Unfortunately, my niece didn't get the message and sat there for 20 minutes looking at the cake. She never touched it by herself. Ever. Meanwhile, the other kids at the party (younger ones, including my youngest) became increasingly restless because there was *clearly* cake on offer, but they weren't having any.

 

So, there we stood. Everyone else wandered off after about 10 or 15 minutes to talk or have a drink while my brother & SIL, especially my poor SIL, became increasingly upset that my niece wasn't smashing her cake. My SIL ended up taking my niece's hand and helped her smash it. I admit to a loud guffaw when my niece recoiled her hand in horror from the cake and started crying. My mom may have elbowed me at that point because my SIL then started crying.

 

Later, I consoled my SIL that the party wasn't ruined and kids rarely perform on cue at these types of gatherings. I also gently suggested she either stay off Pinterest or remember that those "perfect" parties she tries to emulate are not really perfect, only highly edited versions.

[Word Nerd]

You're disgusted by babies eating cake? OK, then! They may not have always been called "smash cakes" or been a prop for professional photos, but the general idea for a 1-year-old is hardly new.

Edited September 11, 2017 by Word Nerd

[frogger]

It certainly isn't new. I was given my own small cake to eat as I pleased as were all my siblings so I guess we were at least 50 years ahead of the trend.

[Elizabeth86]

Well I gave one to my kids and so far not one of them smashed it. lol I guess they agree with you. I dont find it disgusting though.

Edited September 11, 2017 by Elizabeth86

[fralala]

This is basically how my parents and in-laws feel about the entire first 2.5+ years of my kids' food lives. They still have animated chats about how horrifying it was to have to watch me hand a baby a spoon or stick some food bits on their trays and let them, with their undeveloped fine motor skills, do their best to get it in their bellies. I think they, and you, are partially right. Feeding another person can be a loving gesture (and in my husband's family, the tradition is that every close family member breaks off a piece of cake and feeds it to the birthday kid). However, if I were dismayed or grossed out by little faces and hands and necks getting a bit sticky and icky, the whole process of mealtime would in general be unpleasant here.

 

The only smash cake experience I was truly repulsed by was one where all the toddlers were invited to help smash the cake. I didn't grow up with the smash cake so had no idea if it was common, but I wasn't that amused by all the one year olds leaning down to lick the cake, or slurping icing off their fingers and sticking them back in.