Birthdays

ChiccoBeanz

Out of curiosity, how do you ladies celebrate child birthdays in your family? Do you do the big parties every year or just certain years? Do you just cut a cake? Have you even thought about this? 

This is a convo for fun, but please share your views! 

haylierm

Its funny that you asked this today. A friend of my husband was sending him pics today of this OUTRAGEOUS birthday party he was at for a one year old. It was Mickey mouse themed and all of the decorations were suuuuper detailed. Like something you would see at a wedding. There was a long buffet line of all these different jars and bowls of candy. Like a display at a candy store or something. And there was a bounce house and a train. A train. For a one year old. Haha I mean I'm sure that was wonderful for all the older children that attended but for a one year old. I'm sure he will cherish and hold on to this memory for the rest of his life... Oh wait. 8-|

Mizuiro007

This year will be DS's first birthday but we've already planned something simple. We'll go down to my grandparents' house (maternal) and my mom will be there. We're working on figuring out a cake recipe that agrees with him so he can have some cake and we'll eat lunch together. Nice and simple and intimate.

Gingermom15

My family always does a simple cake and the kid chooses what to eat for dinner. The only time we ever went out or had a party was for 13 or 18 years old. I would imagine we will do the same with our child, we both have pretty minimalistic views.

Sunny2015

We always did really small birthdays. We tended to get grouped with other kids or adults who had birthdays close to ours so the only people who had 'big birthdays' in my family was my brother and grandpa. Everyone usually goes all out for everything with grandpa so my brother got lucky being born in the same month ) my sister had skating parties usually and got the day off school because hers was in the middle of the school year.

USCnurse42

We usually do a big first birthday. Since the first birthday we have done small family birthdays. My oldest is 7 and we haven't done anything bigger because his birthday is January 9th. So he has Christmas, 3 Kings Day, and then his birthday. We may do something small thus year like let him have a friend spend the night. Our littlest man will be about a month old so it is something my husband and I need to talk about. Our middle son will be 4 this year and his birthday is in September. We will do a small birthday and probably take something to daycare. We have 2 birthdays back to back as my husband's is the day after my middle son.

Katiemstar

When I was growing up just about every year I had a birthday party up until I was an older teen. I would have friends over and some food and maybe a piñata and cake and ice cream and a few decorations and we would basically just play. As I got older they turned into sleepovers with my girlfriends. Now my parents will host a birthday dinner (our favorite meal) and get us cake and ice cream and invite the grandparents over and the rest of my siblings. I loved my birthday parties and that was one day that was celebrated just for me. I will probably do something similar for my son.

kimb311

I stick to the old school backyard birthday parties for DD. and that was only the last 2 years, she is 4. For the first one we had a few friends over, she napped through most of it so it was more for us. Her second, we did a simple play date with her friends at a park on a weekday. And the last 2 years cake and pizza in the backyard with some water slides, water balloons. Real simple like when we were kids. Have to keep expectations low. She doesn't need a damn sweet 16 type event every year.

ChiccoBeanz

This is cool. Everyone has their own family traditions. On my mom's side, we have a cake cutting for EVERYTHING. I'm being serious btw. My 2 yr old cousin just had a semi-big birthday party yesterday. I know my mom did a big 1st birthday for my sister, she had a costume party, but she's right next to Halloween. I had a party, idk if it was that big. I've only seen 1 pic. I had some birthday parties in school for like pre-school to 3rd grade or so. Then we ended letting me have sleep overs with a few friends and then we'd go somewhere the next day. We went to in door amusement parks, places like discovery zone, skating rinks and etc. I had a sweet 16 that was huge, all the girls on my mom's side get one, and yeah. 

    I think with my LO we may do the stuff from the 5th birthday and do like milestone years. I want to do the small cake cuttings at home, yes, but for like parties, I think picking specific years and so on will be more cost effective and memorable. 

adecembermom2015

@ChiccoBeanz you have to have a world record for most started threads. Keeping the board alive. )

ChiccoBeanz

adecembermom2015 said:

@ChiccoBeanz you have to have a world record for most started threads. Keeping the board alive. )

I am trying! It was becoming a snoozefest!

colsen4

A big party for 1 year (not like the one with the train big). After that small family parties till 5 and then every other year we will have a party. On the years with no party will be a birthday dinner, whatever they want to eat and cake.

hplunkett2883

Like @kimb311 I have kept my kids parties at a "backyard" level. Even for their first birthdays. Just close family at birthdays 1,2,3,4. Then once they started school I let them invite a few friends. My boys birthdays are 9 days apart in November, so they get theirs together. And now since they are adolescents they just have friends sleep over with pizza, video games, and movies. I didn't even do a cake last year for them, they just wanted junk food. We never expect gifts and my kids have gotten to where they don't either. I mean I get them something but most of the time no one else does, not since like their 3rd birthday. We have so many kids in our family and we just make it about being together and having fun. 

preggoandglowing

I wish some of my friends are relatives read this post. They insist on having big parties every single year and expect you to attend. Quite frankly it's getting old, same old thing every year plus as they all have more kids it's taking up so many Saturday's in a year. But maybe now that we're having a baby I'll enjoy them more ? I plan on only doing parties for 1st and 5th birthday and taking them somewhere fun the other years.

ChiccoBeanz

@preggoandglowing I think that once we have our kids, we may have different perspectives. But who knows! I like your idea though

AlejandraN2

I may go a little nutty...I'm Pinterest- and Etsy-happy. For my DD's first, we had about 30 or so people at a rented space and went crazy with decorations. I didn't hire entertainment but we had a little ball pit (made up from a blow up pool), bubbles and things like that. Simple in execution but still love making a big deal of it. We just had her second bday yesterday and had it at our apartment because it was getting pricy to rent. We still had 30 people but kept the food simple and the decorations were all Sesame. I still went a little Pinterest crazy, but i love that stuff. I think the only thing we indulged on in terms of really doing it professional was the cake. I love parties and celebrations so i love decorating but i don't think it's too overboard. Where I live most people hire entertainment, or go nuts so mine is tame in comparison. 

redfallon

@AlejandraN2 said:

I may go a little nutty...I'm Pinterest- and Etsy-happy. For my DD's first, we had about 30 or so people at a rented space and went crazy with decorations. I didn't hire entertainment but we had a little ball pit (made up from a blow up pool), bubbles and things like that. Simple in execution but still love making a big deal of it. We just had her second bday yesterday and had it at our apartment because it was getting pricy to rent. We still had 30 people but kept the food simple and the decorations were all Sesame. I still went a little Pinterest crazy, but i love that stuff. I think the only thing we indulged on in terms of really doing it professional was the cake. I love parties and celebrations so i love decorating but i don't think it's too overboard. Where I live most people hire entertainment, or go nuts so mine is tame in comparison. 

We are doing Sesame Street, too We're having BBQ for the adults and CFA nuggets for the kids. We have a playset outside for them all to play on. Including kids and adults, we may have about 30 people, as well. I have some decorations, but not a lot. Her 1st birthday was about the same.

AlejandraN2

@redfallon - seems like it's a popular theme for 2. My daughter's obsessed with Elmo. I got this scene setter from Amazon btw for $7 and it was sooo worth it. If you're looking for some extra decorations, my daughter's face when she woke up in the morning and saw it on the wall was priceless, so I strongly recommend. She probably thought it was Christmas. She kept kissing all the characters and saying hi to each one individually. Also makes a great backdrop for pics during the party. I do wish we had a yard for a bbq, but alas we had to fit everyone in the 1100 sq foot apt

redfallon

@AlejandraN2 said:

@redfallon - seems like it's a popular theme for 2. My daughter's obsessed with Elmo. I got this scene setter from Amazon btw for $7 and it was sooo worth it. If you're looking for some extra decorations, my daughter's face when she woke up in the morning and saw it on the wall was priceless, so I strongly recommend. She probably thought it was Christmas. She kept kissing all the characters and saying hi to each one individually. Also makes a great backdrop for pics during the party. I do wish we had a yard for a bbq, but alas we had to fit everyone in the 1100 sq foot apt

Her tastes change so much. I know she will still like the Sesame Street, but right now she really likes Peppa Pig, so we could've gone with that if I hadn't already sent out invites and got plates and stuff. The biggest thing I got was a SS Happy Birthday banner and a SS tablecloth. Her cake is going to be really cute and perfect, though. It's Elmo and Abby on a see-saw. She has both of them on her toothbrush and loves them and she likes see-saws from Peppa Pig.

AlejandraN2

@redfallon that's adorable - she'll love it!

kaitykins

We haven't discussed it. But as a child we did a special family dinner and cake and gifts for every birthday and then it depended but usually your typical have a few friends over to play games and eat cake birthday. At 6, 10, 13, 16 we did a larger friend birthday either a sleepover or a roller rink or bowling or something. Oh I had a very special 12 birthday at the restaurant my dad was the chef at. It was awesome. I guess for us it depended on friends and finances. But never crazy expensive just creative.

amw2133

In Hawaii babies first birthdays are a HUGE deal. If your being traditional you have all your family and friends and have a luau (like pig in the ground and whole deal). We are not going to go this big of course but hubby's family is Hawaiian so it will probably be a bigger deal than the rest of LOs birthdays.
After babies first I like the idea of doing backyard party's. Easy simple and tons of fun.

ChiccoBeanz

amw2133 said:

In Hawaii babies first birthdays are a HUGE deal. If your being traditional you have all your family and friends and have a luau (like pig in the ground and whole deal). We are not going to go this big of course but hubby's family is Hawaiian so it will probably be a bigger deal than the rest of LOs birthdays. After babies first I like the idea of doing backyard party's. Easy simple and tons of fun.

Ummm so I'm coming. Don't forget my invitation! lol

blansaw

I did a party at the house for LO's first bday.  One thing I didn't count on was ALL of DH's family coming from out of town and then my church family dropped in after church. I knew we would have quite a few people, but not as many that came.  I didn't think a lot of people would be interested in attending a 1 year old's bday party. I had to get in the freezer and start cooking more food. 

Her 2nd bday I had at the church and did a carnival theme.  We had little games set up (Velcro darts, throw the ball in the bucket, etc.) and whoever wanted to come and play was welcome.  The older kids helped run games and give out tickets. I went to the $1 store and had prizes for the kids and set up a hot dog and nacho bar. Easiest food set up ever. I just told everyone that having a giant play date was gift enough, and any parent that could help clean up would be appreciated.