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MNHQ

Leap day babies - do you have one? Or are you one yourself?

39 replies

RowanMumsnet · 15/01/2016 14:33

Afternoon all

MNHQ here, on the scrounge for your thoughts and experiences on the topic of leap year birthdays (by which we mean babies born actually on February 29th during a leap year).

We were wondering how you explain the concept of astronomical years to young children, whether leap day babies tend to feel special or a bit deprived, how families tackle birthdays in years that aren't leap years, and whether you tend to have extra-special birthdays in leap years... things like that.

(Yes, we have been checking our Year Ahead calendars, and yes, it is a leap year.)

All thoughts welcome
thanks
MNHQ

OP posts:
BikeRunSki · 15/01/2016 22:15

I came on to say that my form tutor at secondary school was born in 29 Feb! I wonder if it I had the same teacher at Pricrastinator?

ProcrastinatorGeneral · 15/01/2016 22:07

My form tutor at school had a leap birthday. We had a ball the year he turned 11. We had banners, balloons, badges, and cake. It was a whole-form effort and was fantastic. I remember it fondly. I hope the form he had for his thirteenth respected the awesomeness of the occasion and did the job properly:o

MeticulouslyMessy · 15/01/2016 21:37

Any Gilbert & Sullivan fans out there? Leap year birthday is a major plot turning point in Pirates of Penzance.

HumanSlowCooker · 15/01/2016 21:36

My daughter is a leapling and I'm quite excited about her first actual birthday this year!! We celebrate on 1st March as I think that's the date that you legally turn a year older for things like drinking/driving etc.
We haven't really explained the concept to her yet as at 4 I'm not sure she would really get it!!!

PotteringAlong · 15/01/2016 21:35

My friend at school was a leap year baby. I thought it was terribly exotic and was really annoyed I was born in January!

Somethingkindaooh · 15/01/2016 20:48

I am a leap year baby Grin

I was famous when young as i went on the local news about it..

I usually celebrate on 28th feb as i was born in the month of feb not march lol

The 29th has always been a big deal for me as i always get something extra special from my mum on a leap year.. I get super excited (even now I'm getting old)

wowfudge · 15/01/2016 19:57

I have a relative with a leap day birthday. In non leap years she celebrates on 28th Feb as it's the same month. When her birth was registered the registrar asked her parents if they wanted to put her birth date down on 28th Feb or 1st March! They said the 29th. This was quite some time ago though.

Zippidydoodah · 15/01/2016 19:04

I went to school with a leap year baby, and I remember a group of us telling him he was only two when he turned eight........Blush

ThePug · 15/01/2016 18:16

I'm officially due my first baby on 10th March but am going to be induced at 38 weeks, which puts me around 26th Feb starting off. Knowing that these things can take time (and I might be bumped down the list for an emergency) I'm getting a bit worried about a Feb 29th appearance! My husband thinks it would be great, but I'd prefer not. If baby did happen to be born on 29th, I think we'd celebrate on 28th so it's still in February, although I take the point that the 1st March is in effect the 'replacement' day for 29th Feb in terms of calendar days.

DrPiggle · 15/01/2016 15:45

My eldest was born on the 29th four years ago. So far, she doesn't understand that her actual birth date doesn't happen every year. As parents we are looking forward to having the real day to celebrate this year.

We've celebrated on the 28th so far. We do get people telling us we're wrong, proclaiming with great authority that it should be one or the other. We prefer it to be the same month. When DD get older she'll get to choose herself.

To be honest, I don't see it as that big of a deal. It's just a date. She's still a year older every year and we celebrate that. But then, we tend to be pragmatic about these types of things in general.

My hope is that DD will never see it as a burden, but will just enjoy her birthday every year and her special day every four years. I hope it'll just be a cool thing about her, but not that big of a deal.

Leeds2 · 15/01/2016 15:38

There was a Feb 29 birthday boy in DD's primary school class. He always celebrated on 28th Feb, so that it was in the same month as his actual birth date. If it were me, I think I would celebrate afterwards on 1 March, but I do understand this boy's point!

HackerFucker22 · 15/01/2016 15:37

I know an adult leap year baby (mid 30's). He celebrates on 28th usually as he was born just a few hours into the 29th.

He celebrates on the 29th during a leap year. He says it's no big deal in terms celebrating on the "wrong" day... It's no different to a school age child having a party on the closest weekend if their birthday falls in the week.

helenahandbag · 15/01/2016 15:36

My dad is leap year birthday. He usually celebrates on 1st March but we make a bigger deal out of his "real" birthday.

A funny fact is he had his tenth "real" birthday the year I turned 10 and his twelfth the year my brother turned 12 Smile

GloGirl · 15/01/2016 15:33

An adult close to me has a leap year birthday, it keeps the pressure of their normal birthdays and that 'must have fun' fear, and the leap year birthdays are more special.

The most annoying thing apparently is everyone else insisting you are celebrating it on the 'wrong' day. There should be an international standard to stop squabbling. Because, you know, there's nothing else of importance going on in the world right now!