Birthday a week before Christmas

[Blablabla1984]

My little one will be 2 on 18th of Dec.

Last year for his 1st birthday we had family and closest friends over, had a big pot of chili and cake. It was lovely. Everyone made the effort to separate his birthday from Christmas which I very much appreciated.

What are other ideas to do for a December birthday without mixing Christmas in?

Also would you send thank you cards for birthday AND Christmas presents or will one card do?

[NickMarlow]

Dd's birthday is 2 weeks after Christmas and I did joint thank you cards.

Like you, people did really well separating her birthday from Christmas last year, but it was her first which helped.

One thing we're starting this year is a day trip to celebrate her half birthday. I'm hoping to make that a bit of a tradition so she has something to look forward to in the middle of the year.

[CharminglyGawky]

I have a close to Christmas birthday and always did thank you cards for both, not joint. More work but there will always be a few people who give your little one joint birthday and Christmas gifts which they wouldn't dream of doing if the birthday was a different month. As a kid it felt like they didn't care and I was getting half of what everyone else got. Which sucked, so we used to think the same way about thank you cards, if I expect others to view my birthday and Christmas as separate then I needed to as well!

Most people were awesome and I never felt like my birthday was swallowed up by Christmas, in fact it made December an even more magical month when I was tiny. My birthdays were very much like everybody else's, we did birthday stuff not Christmas stuff and we had a family rule that decorations didn't go up until after my birthday which made my birthday feel like the start of the best time of year. Now I tend to do the decorations on my birthday as I love doing it!

A Christmas birthday made the really big gifts easier as well, whilst I normally hated getting joint gifts there were exceptions and the 2 being so close that if I was getting a huge gift to be split between birthday and Christmas I'd get it for my birthday and it would still be shiny and new at Christmas. Like my first mobile, I was one of the first in my year to get my nokia 3210 and it was awesome, same with a beautiful wool coat from Jack wills when I was a teen.

Christmas birthdays rock, your little one will be fine!

[Chocolateteabag]

I'm a year on from you! DS2 will be 3 on the 18th of Dec - we won't be having a party this year but I expect we will from 4 onwards as he develops proper "friends"

As you go on you'll find that his birthday will coincide with the end of school term and Christmas parties (parents) so you may have to plan parties for a week earlier. But other than possibly having some Christmas Decorations up at the venue you choose - a birthday party is pretty easy to keep about the birthday boy.

We have also tried to stagger present buying - we have relations overseas so ask them to buy/bring presents when they come in the Spring - otherwise you run out of ideas to suggest to people (we do have a big family).
Try to think of presents he'll need at 2.5+ like balance bike or scooters, fancy dress stuff is also good.

Thank you cards - separate if separate presents given, one if joint Christmas/birthday.

[70isaLimitNotaTarget]

My DS has a December (but first week in December) birthday.

YY to have your parties a bit earlier when you start having the school age parties. We found it difficult finding somewhere and of course , parking was a nightmare for people bringing them.

We don't decorate until after DS birthday apart from Advent Tree/Calander.
And we always do seperate presents and cards.

DS wants a new XBox so this year will be the first time he has a joint Birthday/Christmas . He'll be 17 . At least he hasn't asked for a car

[Princesspinkgirl]

Well I'm watching with interest I'm due Christmas day

[Blablabla1984]

Princesspinkgirl I've got a friend who gave birth on Christmas day. They've moved Christmas to the 24th and then the 25th is reserved for little one's birthday.

[FurryTurnip]

My DS is a Christmas birthday. We've for into the tradition of going to a show at the theatre with a few close friends in the run up to Xmas, followed by a little lunch or tea party. Not a panto, but just something kid friendly. It's so hard to get people to come to a 'proper' party so close to Xmas, but by asking close friends you have more of a chance they will turn up.

[228agreenend]

DC 1 has a birtoday on 23 December. We used to hold parties for him on the nearest Saturday or Sunday and generally people would turn up. Actually, I found when he was older, people loved the chance to offload their child for a couple,of hours, and do some last minute Christmas shopping without a little one I tow!

We did various parties, traditional at home, games in a hall etc. People seemed to recognise it as a birthday party and treated it as such. No one gave joint birthday and Christmas presents.

We tended to do a joint thank-you letter - saves work and energy!

[Haudyerwheesht]

Ds's birthday is 23rd December. He's 10 this year So usually his birthday party / treat is on the first or second weekend of December . He LOVES having his birthday at that time of year.

Everyone apart from MiL uses birthday paper etc. We send one thank you card usually per person iyswim.

Ds also likes having a quieter family birthday with us on the actual day when he'll get to choose where we go for dinner or something and we drive round and look at the Christmas lights etc.