Poll: Birthday parties

lmdbww

Do you have a party every year? (no matter how big or small)

Who do you invite? Family only? LO's school friends? Your friends, whether they have LO's or not?

Do you usually have a theme? (either character, color, design, etc.)

Do you always serve food? Just cake? Something else?

 

Just curious! I only have one niece DD's age and none of our friends have kids in the same age group so we have been doing small family only parties for DD. Her birthday is in July so it's easy, either cake and ice cream or a small cookout, since it's only a few hours long. I'm guessing when DD makes friends at school the parties will change but that's what we do right now.

m_and_m

Do you have a party every year? (no matter how big or small)

Yes. Birthdays are important for me to celebrate, even if it's just something small. 

Who do you invite? Family only? LO's school friends? Your friends, whether they have LO's or not?

Anybody important in DD's life. Family, close friends of DH and I (whether they have kids or not), and this year we'll do school friends as well which I'm sure will make it bigger than in years past.

Do you usually have a theme? (either character, color, design, etc.)

Yes. 1st was a cowgirl theme (I'm not from TX (DH is), and we did a joint party with friends who are not from TX either. We thought it appropriate to celebrate our little Texan girls, lol.), 2nd was an art theme (instead of favours the kids painted/drew on porcelain plates), 3rd was music (local kids musician played, kids decorated homemade drums and shoebox guitars to take home). 4th will be a Superhero party, because DD is superhero and comic book obsessed right now. I prefer a project for the kids to do and take home over favour bags but I'm not sure about this year yet.

Do you always serve food? Just cake? Something else?

So far yes. Cake or cupcakes and full food. It's always been at ours or someone else's house though, and relatively small so providing food hasn't been a big deal because other expenses have been low. Once the parties start to involve more kids we might change it to snacks and cake. 

 

KristinKD

Do you have a party every year? (no matter how big or small)

So far, yes.

Who do you invite? Family only? LO's school friends? Your friends, whether they have LO's or not?

For my girls' first birthdays, we invited our family and close friends, with and without kids. For DD1's second birthday, we just had a family party. For her third birthday, we had two parties, a family party and a kids' party. The kids were friends from our neighborhood and a couple of our friends' kids; we didn't invite school friends because adding 10 more kids would have been too many.

I don't know that we'll do a kids' party every year, but last year was her first year with real friends, so it felt like a good time to have one. Actually, what I've heard is that the family parties get replaced by kids' parties as they get older, but we like any excuse to get together with our families, so who knows?

Do you usually have a theme? (either character, color, design, etc.)

The only party that had a theme was her kids' party, which was Wonder Pets per her request. Otherwise the only thing themed has been their birthday cakes.

Do you always serve food? Just cake? Something else? 

Yes, we always serve food. We just had pizza and cupcakes for the kids' party, but otherwise we serve a full meal, cake, and drinks too.

Pesky

Do you have a party every year? (no matter how big or small)  Yes.  I think it is important that they each have a day to feel special.

Who do you invite? Family only? LO's school friends? Your friends, whether they have LO's or not?  Depends.  We are going to alternate -- one year DD will get a big party and DS the small one and we will switch the next.  Starting with the 3rd bday, I treat it as THEIR party so they get to have their friends and who is important and close to them.  If I want a party for my family and friends, I'll throw it, not hijack their bday parties.  1st and 2nd though I usually invite family and neighbors and they are smaller affairs.

Do you usually have a theme? (either character, color, design, etc.)  Losely yes.  Not always though.  This year there will be no theme really.

Do you always serve food? Just cake? Something else?  Depends on the time of the party but I usually have snacks as well, in addition to cake and drinks.

luvmagoldn

So far we've only had family parties.  But right at the end of this school year we got invites to two parties from classmates.  Now my guys said they want a party with their school friends next year.  I was hoping to wait as long as possible on that.  I guess I should count myself lucky that we made it to five years without having to organize some kind of "friends" party.

ETA: And the family parties do have themes and we serve food in addition to cake.  I don't do goodie bags for their cousins though.

mabma80

1. Yes, every year it's a party!

2. We invite family friends (they have kids same age as our boys), family, and LO's school friends.

3. Always a theme if they are old enough to pick one. Helps me plan better.  DS1 is having a pirate party this year...he picked it.  DS2 is having his at Chuck E. Cheese.  I think next year he'll be able to pick his theme.

4. They are both summer babies, so we will grill burgers and brats/hotdogs.  Then we have chips and dip, juice/Coke, and then cake. 

DevonPow

lmdbww:

Do you have a party every year? (no matter how big or small) - So far, yes! I love birthdays, so I like to go all out

Who do you invite? Family only? LO's school friends? Your friends, whether they have LO's or not? Mostly friends (we have no family in state, my in laws happened to be here for DS's party this year). DS is in a lot of playgroups, etc. so usually around 10-15  of his friends and their parents (I am good friends with most of the parents of his friends)

Do you usually have a theme? (either character, color, design, etc.) Yes - 1st birthday was a polka dot theme, 2nd was trains, 3rd was dinosaurs. This year was a mishmash - he wanted a monorail cake (don't ask) so it was kind of a Disney theme, but not really)

Do you always serve food? Just cake? Something else? Usually heavy appetizers/finger food and then cake. This year we had a bagel bar, too.

 

VTbride05

lmdbww:

Do you have a party every year? Yes, I love to throw parties and love any excuse to get together with friends and family!

Who do you invite? Family only? LO's school friends? Your friends, whether they have LO's or not? Last weekend we had family (11 cousins!) and 3 of DS's friends. We didnt invite our friends with kids as DS doesnt know them very well. But we do invite them all to an annual corn roast in the fall.

Do you usually have a theme? Yes. I love it. I spend months getting ready and too much money, but I love making it super themed special! This year was a farm theme which was a blast.

Do you always serve food? Just cake? Something else? This year we did a 330 party. We served an early dinner around 430. Worked well for our family/friends.

 

Halo79RN

lmdbww:

Do you have a party every year? (no matter how big or small) Not a big party, no, but we celebrate.  we live away from family and for the last 3 years were in a very HCOL area .. people spent big $$$ for parties.  we opted for family days out ...the zoo, american girl experience, a children's museum or special children's place or activity for the day with lunch out and cake and ice cream for dinner

Who do you invite? Family only? LO's school friends? Your friends, whether they have LO's or not?  just the four of us. when "back home" for a party we had our extended family and friends present. 

Do you usually have a theme? (either character, color, design, etc.) sometimes.  like dd's american girl bday was a big one... brunch and all there .. pick out a doll. cake and ice cream at home was themed with it. 

Do you always serve food? Just cake? Something else? when we've been back home for a party, we'd go all out with catered food and cake, but I don't think it's a must...  we have b/c we're not back home very often and it was a great excuse to have everyone together.  when I was a kid, it was parties with parents and gp's and siblings.... just sunday dinner and/or cake and ice cream that afternoon. no big invite all the extended family or the whole class. even the friends who had big parties w/ the class didn't have them every year.  my parents would let some of our neighborhood friends come in to sing and eat some cake... but no party invites and I didn't expect gifts from them.  

franciscaz

Do you have a party every year? (no matter how big or small)  YesWho do you invite? Family only? LO's school friends? Your friends, whether they have LO's or not?   For Harmon we invited his school friends, some of our friends, and family.  The twins we invite all of our friends and family.  We might invite some of our Mom group this time too.Do you usually have a theme? (either character, color, design, etc.)  Yes but we are not slaves to it.Do you always serve food? Just cake? Something else?  No good Latina would not serve food  Seriously my family would be embarrassed if I threw a party and didn't have at least 3 courses (appetizers, main dish, desert).

CareBear0607

We have had a party every year.  Her 1st was a big party with lots of family and friends.  For her 2nd and 3rd birthday I had 2 parties (one for family and one for DD's friends--the kids her age from the neighborhood and her classes).  I have always done some kind of theme and served appetizers, a meal, and cake. 

DeputiesWife

Do you have a party every year? (no matter how big or small) YesWho do you invite? Family only? LO's school friends? Your friends, whether they have LO's or not? we dont have family nearby - we always send them an invite. LO's school friends, yes - there are only 3 others. Yes to our friends.Do you usually have a theme? (either character, color, design, etc.) A theme, yesDo you always serve food? Just cake? Something else? Food - easy - and cake.

jlw2505

Do you have a party every year? (no matter how big or small) - yes.  1st b-day was just family for both and friends and family combo party after that although have sometimes had a separate dinner celebration with family depending on what the kid party was.

Who do you invite? Family only? LO's school friends? Your friends, whether they have LO's or not?  Typically have invited both friends of my kids (from daycare or things like that) and family

Do you usually have a theme? (either character, color, design, etc.) not really, the kids have picked out the theme via plates but I so do not go overboard.  The plates and invites are the same theme and the cake typically and that is about it.

Do you always serve food? Just cake? Something else?  I have done both just cake and also done subs and cake.  Depends on what type of party we are having.

 

Once my girls are a little, the parties will get way smaller  and will then just be friends parties with the grandparents, aunts, cousins joining us for dinner and cake - nothing huge.

SymphonyGirl

We haven't ever done a birthday party for our kids.  We do a fun family outing each year, though.  It might be a water park, the beach, the Children's Museum, whatever we think the birthday kid will really enjoy.

flgator

Do you have a party every year? (no matter how big or small)

Yes

Who do you invite? Family only? LO's school friends? Your friends, whether they have LO's or not?

 This year we had all the kids in DS1's class plus family and a few friends.  Before that we had family and a few friends at our house.

Do you usually have a theme? (either character, color, design, etc.)

Sometimes. For DS1's party this year, we did Nemo. For DS1 and DS2's 1st parties, we did Pooh.  There really wasn't a theme for DS1's 2nd.

Do you always serve food? Just cake? Something else?

Yes to food and cake.

FieryIrishAngel

Do you have a party every year? Yep.  Her first birthday was fairly large and the subsequent three have been a bit smaller.

Who do you invite? Family only? LO's school friends? Your friends, whether they have LO's or not?  The guest list is always made up mostly of family - her great-grandparents, grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins.  There are three couples we invite every year.  Two of them have children, one does not yet, but they're all close with us and are "aunt"s and "uncle"s to our daughter.  School friends have not yet been included.

Do you usually have a theme? Her first birthday party I didn't, but 2 was Dora, 3 was butterflies and 4 was princess.  She picks.

Do you always serve food? Just cake? Something else?  I love to cook and bake, so I make a full spread every year.  As she gets older and wants friends parties that involve activities (paint your own pottery, bowling, whatever kids do nowadays), that will likely change. 

blueshirt2003

Do you have a party every year? Yes, we do. 

Who do you invite? Family only? LO's school friends? Your friends, whether they have LO's or not? Only family and our friends of the family. We don't invite kids from school yet. Our kids are 3 and 7.

Do you usually have a theme? (either character, color, design, etc.) We did until they both turned 3. Then, it's whatever they want to choose from the party supply section. 

Do you always serve food? Just cake? Something else? Yes, we always do cake and hotdogs/hamburgers/sandwiches/whatever, just something to go with the cake. 

 

forensicmama

Do you have a party every year? (no matter how big or small) Yes. I grew up poor and so did my hubby and there were times that my hubby remembers not having a birthday at all. My parents always did something - even if it was just cake. It still bothers my hubby from time to time, so no matter what we do something. For DD's first birthday, we did a big affair. For her second and third, they were just small things with just us. For her fourth, we had her friends from the neighborhood over to play games and eat cake and it was a big hit.

Who do you invite? Family only? LO's school friends? Your friends, whether they have LO's or not? Depends on how busy we are and what our budget is. We've had family and family friends and church friends for that first birthday. For others, it was just DH, DD and me. For the fourth birthday, we had friends/kids/parents from the neighborhood, DH, DD and myself. DD knew all of them. We had one family who we weren't too familiar with, but Anna loved the little baby of their family and playing with the oldest girl.

Do you usually have a theme? (either character, color, design, etc.) Not really. DH does create an awesome custom cake every year, though. DD picks the theme and we make it. We've had a regular sheet cake (1st), Cars/Lightning McQueen, Winnie the Pooh and Pingu.

Do you always serve food? Just cake? Something else? Just the cake and ice cream. And drinks. This year I was thinking of serving food, though.

Amya

Do you have a party every year? (no matter how big or small) Yes

Who do you invite? Family only? LO's school friends? Your friends, whether they have LO's or not?  Family and all my neighbors

Do you usually have a theme? (either character, color, design, etc.) Yes, whatever my ds is into. 

Do you always serve food? Just cake? Something else   We usually do pizza, cake and lots of appetizers.