Its my birthday next week, not a big or significant one.
I’m a single parent to DD, have her 95% of the time and do all the weekday school runs/teeth brushing/feeding. DD is almost 7 but has some medical needs and I’m also responsible for all appointments, paperwork and communication with school re that.
ExH turns up EOW for 24 hours then sods off again.
I always help her choose a birthday present for ExH, same for Father’s Day and Christmas. He never bothers for me. So I decided to get her to do it.
It’s not about what she buys, it’s about the act of loving and caring about someone enough to want them to be happy on their birthday – in a very simplistic way. She loves choosing presents for ExH, and my parents and my cousins children. Been some really random things over the years – footballs, candles, a picnic set for my aunt (DD chose it because it had a campervan on and my aunt has a CV, Aunt loved it).
So last week I sent my 16 year old cousin into b+m with DD and my bank card. Told him to spend no more than £20 and get her to choose a present.
I know DD spent £3 in B+M as it appeared on my card. It’ll be a box of chocolates or a silly mug or socks. But I don’t care for the first time ever I will have a birthday present from my DD. I’ll love it and give her the biggest hug ever.
My parents tell me it’s my own fault I don’t get anything from DD usually because I split her family up and poor old ExH can’t be expected to remember my birthday (he never used to remember his parents birthdays when we were together, I’d have to remind him and/or go and buy what he wanted to get them). I don’t know who ExH buys for but I know he doesn’t like me enough to spend money on me (we split due to his violence which he blames on me). He never used to buy me presents when we were together either (I didn't deserve them)
This will honestly be the first time in almost 7 years as a parent I'll get a present off DD, and I'm so happy. I wanted to share with someone 