Do you always Party??

[ThreeMusketeers]

Do you always have a family party for your children's birthday?

My daughter will be 4 this year, and I am considering downsizing her party SERIOUSLY this year. With just inviting a few close relatives up to visit on the day of her birthday,(it is a weekday..but its not until April, and the few people we were inviting would not have a problem getting the day off as long as they knew well in advance. * we live 3 hours away from everyone*) I will just get a few decorations and we will go out to a special McDonalds Playhouse Dinner (her request), and to the Zoo, then back to the house for cake and presents. I mentioned this to my parents today and they acted like they were disapointed that I was not having a party. Even though they are the close relatives that I am inviting. Now I am feeling bad about this. I would just rather save the decoration's and party games for when she is in school and has kids her age to invite over. Now we only have 2 kids in the family aside from dd, and they aren't even close to us, they are dh's dad's wife's kids.*and dh hasn't even seen his dad since DD's last birthday party.

I need some ideas or support. I am feelin guilty for not having a big "tado"

 

[Snow Brite]

I think you are on the right track for sure. As long as your daughter thinks it is a great day that is all that matters! At four they as still very young to be a good hostess anyways, and those age parties always seem to end in a meltdown, sometimes before the guests have even left the party!

If you daughter has already requested something, then that is great. She will feel like she is special on her birthday. That is all a four year old needs anyways.

 

[Hincher]

Last year was the first year I have done a real party for my girls, ages 5 and 7. Their birthdays are situated within the year such that it makes it hard to have a party on the exact day. DD5 was born on January 2nd. You can't expect people to come to a party on Jan. 2. And my other DD is at the end of October when college football is in full swing. You can't tear a lot of parents away from the TV long enough to bring their kids to a party. So we usually on the day of or the Sunday after have the family party. And to tell you the truth, I think they wouldn't have even noticed if we had not done the party with friends because it was after the actual birthday and they were past it. I might skip it next year.

Also, what I have done is let them take cupcakes to school and do it that way. We even take a little goody bag for everyone so it feels like a party.

 

[Rapunsel]

at our house DS4 an DD1 we only have a big party with friend ever so often.. When DS was turning 3 I was pregnant with DDWe just had the fmaily and his Godparents over for cake. He didn't care. We was happy to just have cake and see his fmaily.

My kids also have Nov and Dec birthdays. So if we have bad weather here in NY we could be stuck inside..

As they get older I might just throw a big unbirthday celebration for them in the summer. That iswaht my mom did for me growing up. I also have Dec 30 birthday. So it can be difficult.

I can say most birthdays that kids rememebr are the ones that they chose waht to do and had the most fun. I just did a pirate party for my DS and he said that it was better than the pirate party that he want to at a birthday Party place. As he had the most fun and got to pick and choose what he wanted to do.

Do what the kids want and who cares what the family says. I have in-laws here and parents 3,000 miles away.. So it can be difficult.


HTH

 

[kikakeko]

We almost never have a big party for any of our kids... for our twins just family and close friends cake and ice cream no frills no fuss.

My oldest has a birthday in July and we do the same close family and friends and then somthing special like swimming all day, going out on a boat ect just us as a family.

 

[lauritagoddess]

My son will be turning 4 in June and for all of his birthdays they've only been small family parties at home. I can't see doing a whole big shebang for a child who won't appreciate or even remember the party. This year I was thinking of a party at McDonalds or a pizza place with just a few friends from his preschool but he doesn't even want that. He already told me he just wants a family party and doesn't want a "kid's party" until he's 5. I still might try the pizza place or McDonalds though so I don't have to have everyone over at our too small apartment.

 

[sl_underwood]

We never do a big birthday party either. Usually we go to dinner and follow with a movie or an activity the child wants to do. Unfortunately we dont really have good extended family so even though I always invite extended family they never show up because their lives cant be interrupted long enough to celebrate our kids birthdays. This year my older dd turns 13. She and her best friend are going to a friend of mines beauty salon and they are going to get facials, nails and hair done. Then we are taking them to dinner at a fancy restaurant. My younger dd just celebrated her bday in December and we had a pizza party at home and she had a friend sleep over. I dont think scaling down your party is a bad idea at all. If it works for you and your child then go for it!
Lora

 

[AllyCatTapia]

we always do a big party, even tho I am not a fan of it- it's a lot of work! But the family is so big it always turns into a "big thing" no matter what.

One time we had a big vacation during my sons bday and TRIED not to do a party. WEEELLLL- one grandma wanted to come over and giove presents one weekend, and then another a different weekend, and then godfather wanted to "stop by"...so basically instead of having one big thing, I had several little things, which was jsut as bad

 

[FionaLovesShrek]

It doesn't take much to make kids happy. Why get all stressed out every year for a party when they are just as happy being with family? Their focus is on the cake and the gifts. It's easy to make them feel special on their special day without a big party. DD's first big party was when she was 5, A Princess Party, where she got to invite all her friends from church and Girl Scouts. They all had a blast and DD remembers that party very fondly. She was a Princess that day, as were all the little girls that came. She is now 9, and on her 10th she will get to have another party where she invites friends.

 

[ThreeMusketeers]

Thank you![/SIZE] I definatly don't feel as badly anymore. I just asked dd again what she wanted to do for her bday and she told me again McDonalds Playcenter and the Zoo. We will invite Grandma and Grandpa and her one aunt down that we have constant communication with throughout the year, and still have cake and ice cream. Small and Sweet...just like DD!

 

[FionaLovesShrek]

Thank you![/SIZE] I definatly don't feel as badly anymore. I just asked dd again what she wanted to do for her bday and she told me again McDonalds Playcenter and the Zoo. We will invite Grandma and Grandpa and her one aunt down that we have constant communication with throughout the year, and still have cake and ice cream. Small and Sweet...just like DD!

Sounds like a perfect birthday