Low key 3rd birthday

bethieb123

Our dd's 3rd birthday is less than 2 months away and I have no plan/guest list at all. Last year we had just moved back home so we had a huge family blowout with distant cousins and neighbors' kids.

This year I'm thinking low key is the way to go - but our dd has zero little friends to invite I'm feeling like I failed her She's not in daycare or anything like that, and we don't know our new neighbors ...
So what kind of celebration could I put together at this point? I don't think we have time to meet people to invite to a kid-centered party. I'm thinking maybe just have family (grandparents, 4 aunts/uncles, and about 4 older cousins) over for cake and to sing her happy birthday after her dad and I take her to the zoo/aquarium early that day? Is this "normal" for a three year old? The world of Pinterest is just getting me down - all those parties are about huge decor and favors for lots of little ones and that just won't be the case for us. What's "normal" to you guys?

jasminelorraine20

What's "normal" for me is big parties for big birthdays. (Age 2, 5, 10, 13, etc.) is how we're did and are doing. Where do you live exactly? Maybe a trip w/ Mom and Dad to American Girl, or Cabbage Patch Land, or something like that would make her day. Don't feel like you failed her, whatever you decide to do- I'm sure she will love it.

niknak1208

You did not fail. At 3, even if I'm preschool, they still don't really have a lot of 'friends'. My son is 6 and last year when he turned 6 is the first year we've invited friends. And even then we told him 3 kids from class because otherwise he would have invited his entire class. Mostly we invite family. So this year he will be in first grade but he might have totally different kids in his class so who knows!

We've done his party at the bowling alley twice. A pizza arcade place once. At our in laws house a couple times. I refuse to spend $500 on a party and a lot of these other places charge a ton per kid.

jasminelorraine20

niknak1208 said:

You did not fail. At 3, even if I'm preschool, they still don't really have a lot of 'friends'. My son is 6 and last year when he turned 6 is the first year we've invited friends. And even then we told him 3 kids from class because otherwise he would have invited his entire class. Mostly we invite family. So this year he will be in first grade but he might have totally different kids in his class so who knows! We've done his party at the bowling alley twice. A pizza arcade place once. At our in laws house a couple times. I refuse to spend $500 on a party and a lot of these other places charge a ton per kid.

I agree w/ this. We just did CiCi's Pizza for LO's 3rd birthday and it has a little arcade in the back. There was a total of maybe 11 kids and we paid no more than $40 to feed them and whatever that was spent on the cupcake cake. It was very cost effective.

engineermommy

Pinterest can definitely make me feel bad sometimes, too. 

At 3, your child is still so young. Don't feel bad about it at all. Just celebrate with family, do something special for her, and I'm sure your kid will have a blast!

HookEmNelson

Low key birthdays are the best! Chin up. Pinterest and comparing others parties are hard sometimes, but the love is there no matter what. Our next blow out birthday will be when our guy turns 5. I have one more low key at 4 this year.

niknak1208

A friend of mine lets her kids have a 'family' party and then has a play date of their choice later on with 1-3 friends of their choice. I think that's a reasonable idea as well.

Ya Never Know

DD had a big birthday party for her first birthday (just because a lot of family hadn't met her yet), and b-days 2 and 3 were both just family gatherings at home with the grandmas and grandpas. There were gifts and cake, and DD couldn't have been any happier. She knew it was her special day, it doesn't have to be Pinterest-fest every birthday. My parents never went all out for us every year, just a dinner was enough for us to create lasting memories.

CanadaMom17

We never did the big parties either - even with tons of family.  Dinner was a special event that day, and that was about it.  I was quite a bit older before I'd have friends in for a sleepover or something.  Low key is nice.

If there is a nice park, zoo, splash pad or something kid friendly your lo would enjoy, include that as part of the day perhaps.