when your child is celebrating a birthday away at college....

[teedisney]

That should say girls not evils

 

[Soulsearching]

I need help!

How did you celebrate your child's birthday when they are away at college?

And of course, it needs to be somewhat economical / on a budget -- I can't fly up for the day or anything like that.

We will be able to visit a different weekend, just not on actual birthday.

Any advice? What did you do with your kids? All ideas (especially budget) welcome!

Thanks!

I got a big box and filled it from the dollar store, birthday plates, candles, forks, napkins, silly string and helium balloons (just two) water guns, and an Entemens Birthday Cakes.

He was very surprised to open the box and watch the helium balloons fly out. He brought his box to the common area where everyone hangs out to watch t.v. and enjoyed his Birthday with people he just met.

It was September and he really didn't know anyone either, but now he does.

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

I love that.



I was 17 when I went to college (I moved 2 states away and then my mom remarried and moved all the way across the country...I was in western WA and she was in Miami) and my birthday is in October, so I had my first birthday well before I had really become accustomed to the whole dorm/college thing. I don't remember exactly what she sent that time (though I do remember her gift before our first finals), but she tended to send homemade (from scratch, as she always did) cookies. The trick to keep them fresh was that she wrapped them in both foil and plastic wrap (I think the plastic wrap was directly around the cookies), then put them in a tin, put the tin in a box, and sent it. They were SO good, and she always made enough to fill the tin so my friends loved her too. She also would make fresh pesto, put it in tupperware-type containers, FREEZE it, wrap it in plastic wrap and foil, then send it by a fast-shipping method to me. I do remember that was for a birthday, during my sophomore year. The friends who had visited my parents over our first Spring Break (see that mention of my mom moving to Miami, LOL) loved her pesto and so loved that birthday.

I was NOT a grownup adult in college; I was still very young, and having my birthday made to be like I was still at home was absolutely priceless to me. And, of course, when I went "home" it wasn't home, so there was no getting that back. So having my mom wrap me in hugs from far away, with the homemade stuff she made with love was just the absolute best.

Aw crud, crying. Dang I miss her. If only I had known I wouldn't have her very long, that I'd lose her when I had just turned 30... A good parent can be hard to find. (I know this because the *bad* parent is all I have left) Even from afar you can make them feel loved, and that's a very good thing.

 

[jamounger]

My daughter's school has a Hospitality program that runs a bakery. They have cupcakes and cookies that you can order and are delivered to the dorms. At exam time you can order a pack that has a loaf of homemade bread, PB&J, and goldfish crackers that they deliver to your student.

 

[nsmith]

thanks guys for the info. To answer some of the questions, her birthday is mid week so we can't go there. She's very young and her birthday will be in the first week after school starts so she won't know many people at all . Birthdays are a HUGE event at our house and I know she will miss that, so no, not embarassing to celebrate it.

I don't know the RA yet.

I do bake so I will definitely try to send homemade cookies. Great idea about double wrapping! And I will also check and see on campus if they have some bakery to deliver a cake -- thanks for that idea.

DD school offered a service that delivered a fairly large cake to the dorm for bdays. DD called me to tell me NOT to order one of these cakes for her. It seems no one had a knife forks and plates or place to store the left overs and it was to much for them to deal with. We did find a lovely mom and pop bakery that delivered a dozen warm sticky buns to her and then called us back to tell us that she looked happy and healthy lol.

 

[verleniahall]

when i was in college, my parents sent me a care package that was filled with lots of goodies that i could use. (this was like 6 years ago, so i will try to remember what was in it)

i know there was:

Kudo's Bars (i got addicited to these)
Cash
$50 WM gift card
balloons, streamers, and some Dollar Tree plates, cups, nakpins, etc... to decorate and celebrate with a couple friends


my brother and SIL sent me

Kudo's Bars (it was aweosme)
a pillow to plug into my ipod

 

[bananasplitkids]

My birthday is always with spring break, so when I was a freshman I went home and celebrated with my family. However after my freshman year I went on vacations with friends so my mom would send a cake from the local bakery or an edible arrangement. When I turned 21 my parents sent me concert tickets for me and my friends.