Early Birthday Party?

[Lilacs4Me]

I would do it for my dd but I would do it differently. I wouldn't feel right about my dd getting gifts for her birthday 3 months before. I would just let the girls know not to bring anything, that it is planned because its hard to plan something close to her birthday, it is not an actual birthday party. If they choose to give her a gift they can wait until her actual birthday.
It just would feel weird about making an all out party months before a birthday. That is just me though.

I thought about doing that too. Thanks!

 

[cabanafrau]

I wouldn't stress too much about gifting at a party just because it was much earlier than the birthday. I know someone who celebrated her birthday months late her whole life simply because she was nutty for Halloween.

 

[sksjasams]

I would go ahead and do it. Just word it on the invitations that this is to celebrate DD's 13th birthday, instead of phrasing it as if it is her birthday.

In the past, we have done a concert and a sporting event to celebrate DS's birthday. Smaller scale - only a couple of his friends each time, but in my email to the parents I said the event would be our treat because we are celebrating DS's birthday.

This way you can include cake or cupcakes, the birthday song, etc. I think it would mean a lot to your DD, especially since it's for her 13th birthday.

 

[gotomu212]

My son has a birthday right before Christmas so I understand and we've have had to push it a week to two before. Once we did it 5 weeks later and my son really didn't like the birthday aspect of it (he was fine with the party and having fun with friends but the cake and singing was too much and later he said it felt embarrassing and fake).

I think it's fine to have a fun event, but especially since it's a surprise it might not actually feel like a birthday and It might be a letdown that this is in lieu of celebrating closer to the day (maybe if it wasn't a surprise and you gave her a choice of this party or a birthday themed party?)

On the other side if we were guests and invited to a similar party we wouldn't think it was weird

 

[wilkeliza]

3 months before is a little extreme. I'm having a game night a week after my birthday this year and my fiance's "party" will be 2 weeks before or after his bday because we are out of the country on it. I couldn't imagine throwing my birthday in December or his in March.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

What are your thoughts on having early (or late) birthday parties?

I mentioned this in the other birthday thread - DS16 and DD have birthdates that are incredibly difficult to plan parties for. Their birthdays are one day apart at the end of June, both dates fall right in between Father's Day and July 4th, and our town's annual summer carnival is the weekend in between, not to mention the slew of vacations, graduation parties, end of the school year parties, and weddings taking place at that time of year.

And it's just as hard to do a "half-birthday" because even their half-birthdays fall the week between Christmas and New Year, which is almost as impossible of a time as the end of June.

So, my dilemma. DD and I have had a standing date to see Beauty and the Beast when it comes out later this month - it's both of our favorite Disney movie and ever since we saw the first preview I promised her I would take her. I was thinking it would be the perfect way to celebrate her birthday, but her darned birthday is still a couple months away!

Would you just do it anyway? She has about 10 good friends she would want to invite and I was thinking about making it a surprise party - they can meet me at the theater and then DH can bring DD in. She would LOVE it...one of her friends just had a surprise party for her 13th birthday in Nov, and the girls are all about trying to find ways to surprise each other now. They even planned a mini-surprise party for one of the girls in the group back in Jan for her birthday - it was really cute how they all were so excited about the planning and how they would reveal , etc, etc. So I know DD would like it.

I just feel weird about it for some reason - like I am lying about it being her birthday. She will not be having a party in June - for reasons stated above plus it is going to be a very busy time overall for us. The best we've been able to manage the past few years is going out to dinner for the both of them and they invite a friend and it won't be any different this year.

Would you do this surprise birthday party a few months early, and how would you word the invite?

Thanks!

Heck ya. Make it a TRUE suprise party!

 

[Marchand63]

We always did Ds's birthday early while he was in school. His birthday was mid summer & most friends were scattered on family vacations so did his about 2 weeks before school ended.

 

[dotfurio]

I've done an early birthday party for my youngest. Her birthday falls in the middle of summer and she doesn't really know her school friends outside of school, so we've thrown her a party right after the end of the school year so she can easily invite her classmates.

The only downside is when her actual birthday came she thought she was getting another party.

 

[kuhltiffany]

I couldn't do it, not as a birthday party anyway. Fun party with friends yes.

I get the June stress, my kids are a year and a week apart, June 23 and June 30, turning 12 and 13 this year. I try and plan something that can be over quick and have outside people come and do the prep/set up if possible. We've done parties where one kid is the morning, one in the afternoon, sleepovers, one friend to Great Wolf Lodge, etc. Lately we've been doing an after school party during the week and that seems to work the best!

 

[sanjidasan]

What difference does it make when to have a birthday party?

 

[Denise W]

What difference does it make when to have a birthday party?

Zombie thread alert!! Why would you bump a thread from 4 years ago???

 

[mom2rtk]

What difference does it make when to have a birthday party?

Welcome to the DIS.