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Original poster

If you have an August born child

58 replies

OnlyFoolsnMothers · 16/01/2022 08:23

When do you celebrate their birthday?
So a long way off but my husband and I were looking at prices for a soft play party/ hall party for our daughters 5th birthday. Her birthday is in early august- given that this is her first birthday in school she’s never had a class party before and neither have we had “holiday season” to contend with. My feeling is we throw her party the last weekend before school breaks up -2.5wks before her birthday. My husband thinks this is ridiculous, that you celebrate close to the date, doesn’t matter who can’t come and that otherwise we would need two celebrations (one on her actual birthday). I get his point but surely so many people will be away- I don’t want to fork out for a class party and have less than half attend. Who’s right? Any advice from parents of summer babies, what have you done?

OP posts:
TeenPlusCat · 16/01/2022 08:30

I think you are right, the last weekend that term is in for the party, and a family celebration on the actual day. That's if you want a big party.

Issues with summer holiday parties

  • people are away
  • if on weekend, double chance people are away
  • if in week it is awkward with random childcare parents are using
  • people will forget to attend even if they say yes

(My DC aren't summer holidays, but I am.)

TeenPlusCat · 16/01/2022 08:31

You always have 2 celebrations anyway, one on party day and one on actual birthday.

FinallyGotAnIPhone · 16/01/2022 08:32

My birthday is in the middle of August and I don’t remember ever having a party as a child (get that tiny violin out !!) for all of the reasons PP mentions.

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SmallGreenStripes · 16/01/2022 08:38

Family tea party, one or two close friends

TulipsTwoLips · 16/01/2022 08:47

You are right

luckylavender · 16/01/2022 08:54

@OnlyFoolsnMothers - I don't think the end of term is a good idea. People usually v busy. DS (now a young adult) is mid August & we always did it on his birthday. Just a bit more effort.

Mumoftwoinprimary · 16/01/2022 08:54

Dd has an Easter holidays birthday. (Not every year obviously but more often than not since she has started school.)

The year she turned 3 we invited 15 people to her party and only 8 could make it.

The year she turned 4 we used this ratio and invited 26 people to her party. 24 could make it. Shock

As you have probably guessed the first year her birthday was during school holidays and the second year wasn’t.

After that we had her parties either a week or two before the holidays or a week or two afterwards. Meant all her favourite friends could come.

littlemisslozza · 16/01/2022 08:56

My DC all have their birthdays in the summer holidays. We still did parties around their birthdays though. It was surprising how many were around in August and I've found July to be the month that is trickier - so many things going on a school and weekends that it was never a better alternative when mine were younger. Now they are past the class party stage, and like a few friends over or to do an activity, it's easier as we can work around when those friends are on holiday.

Clambering · 16/01/2022 08:57

My DD (15) has an August birthday and we have a family celebration on the day and then a party for friends either at the end of the previous term or the start of the next, depending on how organised we are. No-one minds the party date being a little distant from the actual birthday but she and her friends would mind if there was no event for them.

TheTurn0fTheScrew · 16/01/2022 08:58

One of my DC has a half term birthday, so we always avoid on the day or the weekends either side. Like others we have a family meal out on the day, and a party with friends 2 weeks before or after. DC loves having two birthdays.

Jessicabrassica · 16/01/2022 08:58

We go away for DDs birthday weekend (late August) but when she's had parties it's always been in early Sept.

We learned when she was about 3 that nobody would come to a party around her actual birthday.

Aurorie11 · 16/01/2022 08:59

My August born son had party on the last weekend of school term
A birthday bbq for family and family friends closest weekend to his birthday
Then something on his actual birthday with us and sibling

BlueSky8 · 16/01/2022 08:59

Not an aug baby but middle of Dec.
We do parties either last weekend in Nov or beginning of Dec depending how it falls, as a lot of people have Xmas things planned.

It's fine to do it couple of weeks before.

Waxonwaxoff0 · 16/01/2022 09:00

I'm a late August born. My parties were usually at the beginning of September.

MsAnnFrope · 16/01/2022 09:03

We have a mid august DD8. Pre school we did parties on the day. Since school we have either arranged well in advance and had a small party on the day or done it in July or (thanks to Covid) September. They have all worked ok, the only thing she didn’t like was being on holiday for her last birthday as she missed her friends!

Warblerinwinter · 16/01/2022 09:03

August child here

If he wanted a full party we used to hold in early July before kids started to drop off before end of term

In practice though most years DC was happier to have a special day out with just a couple of close friends. We would arrange that at a mutually agreeable time during the school hols and it wasn’t really a problem as most family holidays are 2 weeks. DC mostly preferred being able to go to say legoland or adventure park with 2 best friends, then a TGI , then playing at home with cake to follow, than a party with dozen or so wider friendship group at say a bowling alley or village hall with me doing games for instance.

Don’t fret about it. You’ll find a way based on your child’s preference. For this first year, it will probably be a good call to have a bigger party in term time to help develop friendships for your DC , and for you to meet parents etc. then go from there next year when she has formed her specific friendship groups more firmly.

Warblerinwinter · 16/01/2022 09:03

Sorry, not me august, my DC 🤦‍♀️😳

Hamnet · 16/01/2022 09:06

Nobody is around at the end of term. People bugger off early for hols. Plus people always have exciting weekend plans in July. We therefore always have the party in Sept when everyone is back and bored. On the birthday itself we did family treats like bowling together or cinema etc.

Remmy123 · 16/01/2022 09:07

As near to the birthday as possible - it is doable! Just takes some juggling

itsgettingweird · 16/01/2022 09:08

My ds is end of august.

He rarely has parties as not his thing but we did small gatherings end of term (so a month early!).

If you leave it until the end people will have forgotten over the holidays. Or you wait until term starts to hand out invites and do it following weekend - which is further from the date.

The great thing about end of term parties is everyone is ready for some relaxation. In fact you can have nice BBQs and garden parties that are very chilled and require very little entertainment. And often many parents willing to come along and help in return for a glass of wine and a burger!

SpiceRat · 16/01/2022 09:08

August child with an august child partner and an august baby. August is party month for us clearly.

Me and partner both have the same thoughts and experience that August birthdays are so much better as you don’t have a to invite all the nobheads from you school you hated but “had to invite because you can’t leave out one person from the class” or have people at your party you don’t even speak to / play with in school. You just invite you friends that you’d see over the hols anyway. Had a few summer holiday birthday friends and none of them ever had a party just to have one in school term, I didn’t even realise this was a thing.

Plmoknijbuhv · 16/01/2022 09:09

My Dd birthday is very end of August. We always do her school party mid Sept, but do family party on her actual birthday. Send out invites towards the end of the summer term, but then do a little reminder text a couple of weeks before

AnnieLobeseder · 16/01/2022 09:09

DC1 (16) has a late August birthday and has pretty much not had a birthday party since they started school. We always intend to have it once school goes back but in the craziness of the new term it never happens. And you definitely won't get anyone coming during the holidays. Your plan makes the most sense, get it done before school breaks up!

Kotatsu · 16/01/2022 09:10

If you do it in summer, you'll often have a half-empty party (august born son here). The number of times that out of a class of 30 we struggled to get 5 because everyone was off on holiday (and they were all friends - youngest regularly gets 26 to his parties in term time)

Now he's older we have smaller parties anyway, but when he was younger, it was either close to the day, and it would pretty much be family only, or we'd do it just before school broke up so his friends could come.

His sibling has his birthday in September, so we'd have a party each end of the holidays.

itsgettingweird · 16/01/2022 09:10

August child with an august child partner and an august baby. August is party month for us clearly.

That's same here! Although DP is now an ex we also have my mum and 3 of my cousins birthdays all within 9 days in august!

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