Children's Birthday Parties.. Every Year?

[ilandrazdsw]

DS and DD are 2 yrs 1 week apart. DMIL's b-day is also the same days as DS'. We usually have a family get-together on each child's birthday (maybe easy food and cake...I like decorating cakes so I don't mind doing 3) and 1 friends party as most of their friends are siblings in the same age groups or friends from church. If a friend of DS is invited he is invited by DS not DS & DD...we would not want or expect a gift for both children, actually not gifts would be preferable. We do not go "overboard" as some families with all the goodies, guest presents, and extra food to send home...it is about fellowship and celebrating life to us...also funds don't permit it.

 

[FSUDisneyGirl]

Once I was in school, my mom would let me choose what I wanted to do...before kindergarten it was parties and home with friends and family. Once school started, it was parties at home, roller skating, gymnastics, etc....my mom would just let me invite the number of kids her budget could afford. Once I was in late elementary school, it was always sleepovers. I'd get a budget, and I had a BLAST shopping for the party! In middle school, I picked a friend to go to Disney for a day 2 different times.

 

[carj]

We have 2 children. Their birthdays in February and July. We have always thrown large parties and invited the class. There is always great attendance at the February party and not very many kids are able to come in July. (I think that being out of school, people are on vacation, etc...)

This year though, I suggested that my son invite a couple of friends to go to Great Wolf Lodge. It is going to end up costing about the same as the big parties that we usually have. Now that he is getting older and has definite preferences about friends, I think that this will work. We are going Friday, so I will let you know how it works out!

We will still do a big party if they want one. I love parties!

 

[gaelic grace]

We have always done a family only party until they turn four. By then they are in preschool and have their own friends. We still do a party for family and then their friend party. The expense has varied depending on the age and what they wanted to do and how finances were at the time. My husbands family didn't really celebrate birthdays. They could choose between a party or a present. It didn't bother him but his sisters both still resent it and make comments when other people talk about parties. I don't think it was about the money but more about the time and effort to make someone feel special. There are alot of things you can do to celebrate a special day that don't involve alot of money. You can let your child invite one special person over to spend the night or fix a special meal. We let the birthday child pick activities the weekend closest to their birthday. This can be as simple as playing their favorite board game or reading to them for an extra half an hour that night. These are the things I think that will stay with all children longer than the party itself.

 

[Leenie74]

My girls b-days are 2 days apart in early August and right now we do combined parties. We invite family and friends that the girls spend time with on a regular basis. Throughout older DD preschool years, we haven't invited classmates (although she has already asked about this since she's in kindergarten now) and I'm sure it will be somewhat difficult since their b-days are literally right before school starts. Each DD does get her own small cake (basically a regular cake split in half) and decorations are half-and-half for each girl's theme. So far they are fine with sharing...but I'm sure the days of that will be short lived when the older one attends her first slumber party!

 

[LisaMommy]

Each kid gets a birthday party every year. We usually invite the whole class and have it at home. On their actual birthday they get a dinner of their choice and cake with some family. Once they get older and grow out of home parties, I'll let them choose something more expensive to do with one or two friends.

 

[CookingMama]

We let the kids decide what they want for their birthday. Same thing for their graduations, 1st Communions, and Confirmations. This year my older son isnt asking for a big birthday party because he will have a big college graduation party this summer instead WHOOOOO_HOOOOO time goes by fast!!!

Do you have a birthday party for yourself or your S/O if you don't have a party for your kids?

We are going to WDW for my dd bday in Nov this year.

 

[Tiffany_MommyOf3]

Our parties are family, a few close family friends and thats it LOL - we normally have about 40-60 people.. My husband has a large Mexican family and I have an adopted family and a biological family LOL - So its always a large gathering. ;-)

 

[luckey-lasvegas]

We have one DD who's birthday is 5 days before Christmas. We have a family party for her actual birthday, which usually turns into a 3 day birthday/Christmas event when DH's family comes from out of state. Nothing extravagant just dinner and cake and ice cream. This year we went to Sweet Tomatoes and out to see the Christmas lights, then went home for homemade cake and ice cream. During the summer months I let her throw a 1/2 birthday party for friends (no presents or a Yankee swap) like a sleepover or pool party. I like it because it keeps down the clutter and she gets to have 2 parties. Now that she's a non Santa believer we are talking about a trip instead for her birthday.

 

[mom2meiko]

oh - a topic near and dear to my heart. my sisters 2 boys' birthdays are june 28th and july 2nd. my dd is july 1st and i am due with d?#2 on july 9. to say we have a lot of birthdays all at the same time is a huge understatement! lol.

my sis had her 2 boys share their parties (family, close friends, etc.) until they were both in school and had their own friends, etc. at which time they started just having kids parties (usually on a weekday afternoon).

we will probably do the same for our 2 - and then do a separate kids party for each and one family party for them to share.

i definitely think each kid should have their own birthday as they get older - it's the only time they get to celebrate their special day. how is it their special day if they have to share it with someone else?

 

[MickeyMomOfThree]

We have 3 kids, no extended family but grandparents who live far away.

For their first through 5th (when they started school), were fun with our family (the 5 of us). Once they started school and had friends we started yearly parties. At the age of 10, they ahve their last BIG party (double digits, you have to celebrate) after that we go to sleepovers with a few friends (only one has made the switchover so far). Then the big b-days are celebrated. At 13 our DD14 got to get a hotel suite with an indoor pool for a few friends. The younger 2 can't wait for that. At their 16th we plan to take a few friends to an indoor waterpark for the oldest and youngest who have cold weather b-days, our middle want to go to the local amusemunt park, her b-day is late May. Right now my DD9 is getting ready for her last big bash, she is planning to take about a dozen friends to an indoor bounce house. Sometimes the parties are at home, sometimes we go somewhere, it's up to them (within reason).

I don't think you have to do them every year, but because we have no family we like to involve their friends.

 

[mjmoon]

Our parties are family, a few close family friends and thats it LOL - we normally have about 40-60 people..

LOL- That was the size of my wedding. I guess I'm just not one for crowds. There were about 18 ppl total at my son's 5th Birthday party. I THOUGHT that was a big party.

Birthdays are days to be celebrated, for sure. But a huge (wedding size, in my world) party every year is a bit much for me.

What do you do with all the gifts? Do the kids get bored opening all those presents?

 

[mjmoon]

i definitely think each kid should have their own birthday as they get older - it's the only time they get to celebrate their special day. how is it their special day if they have to share it with someone else?

I am a twin so I always shared my birthday with my brother.. I didn't know any different. lol I do think every kid should have a special celebration just for them for their birthday... I just don't think it necessarily has to be a big party every year.

 

[waltskids]

DS's 1st birthday party was very large (about 120 people) at a fire hall for friends and family (we have a very large extended family ). For his second b-day, we had it at our house with just close family and friends (about 40-50 people, including kids). We decided this was the last year for the big house party, so we will have his 3rd party at a place like Bounce U or pumpkin picking for friends and their kids. We'll have cake and ice cream at the house for close family (his aunts, uncles, cousins). We'll probably plan something similar for DD (she will be a June birthday) but we'll have much more options since she will be a summer b-day.

 

[PaulaSue]

Normally I have a family and a 2nd kid's friend b-day party (since started PS)for each DD but for this year with moving and going to Disney we scaled back to only a family party till next school year.

With each party it is 10-12 people max and the only one not at home was because the house was on the market and I didn't want it trashed by the kids last May.

 

[a1tinkfans]

My ds just turned 15 shortly after Xmas. TIME DOES FLY!! We always extend an invitation to our extended family to pop in for dessert/coffee and usually we get the family (like 25 people) every year.
We take Grandma and Uncle XX with us (they live together) for a dinner out, my DS chooses the place, this year was YUMMY Mexican place!
Our family tradition is to decorate our kitchen to the hilt (signs and decorations, balloons, and confetti under our glass topped table, etc etc.) and place streamers across the entrance doorway/opening. The birthday "person" runs through, we take a quick picture and then we have a small "stuffed animal chipmunk" that sings "todays your Birthday" and dances, we have had it for years, and he only comes out for birthday celebrations, WE always seem to laugh like crazy! Usually family brings gift cards and things he likes for him, like books!
My ds always has a PILE of gifts from us (probably more because I am also a Dec baby and being close to Xmas, felt "ripped" in my youth, LOL). Anyhoo, he gets tons, though does not ask for it and as he has gotten older, YES, it has gotten more expensive. (this year he got a laptop, and books and gift cards and cd, and some clothes he likes) We usually also throw him some cash to go to a movie with 2 friends and pay for that, if he wants....fortunately we are blessed to afford to do it, if we couldn't we wouldn't. Works for us!!