Do you remember your childhood birthdays?

[Brunts12]

Do you remember your birthdays when you were a child? If so, were they good memories or not so much? I’ve never really thought about it until I had my own children, and it made me realise how utterly shite my birthdays were. Some years, especially from around age 12, I didn’t get a present or any acknowledgment at all, just your normal typical day. For context, I am an ‘80s child and my parents weren't poor at all, dad was a senior engineer and mum was a uni lecturer. I just think my mum wasn't a particularly emotionally available parent, while my dad simply couldn’t care less. Weirdly, it's only now, thinking about it, that it makes me quite sad.

That is sad OP. I remember mine from about 9 onwards, I don't think I got much but was always acknowledged. We do a lot more for our kids birthdays now I know sometimes a bit over the top but to not acknowledge it at all I'd feel sad too.

That is really sad OP.

I remember my parties. I don’t remember my presents. I remember my mum always baked me a cake and I felt special for the day

I know that I had cake and a friend or two around for tea, and presents. I don’t specifically remember any of them.

Yes, my birthdays weren’t brilliant either, a bit of a non-event, parents divorced and don’t either could really be bothered. I remember on my 16th getting a Simply Red tape ( I did like them to be fair) and one other present that I can’t even remember. I do remember crying though out of disappointment.
I think this is why I now make a ‘big’ thing of my DC’s birthdays and spoil them. I don’t ever want them to feel how I did.

I don't specifically remember them, but I remember being treated well. I usually had a party, presents and cake. There are photos of all this.

I remember some of my birthdays, not all of them.
Mum usually baked a cake & we had a party at home.

My birthdays were disappointing. I make a big deal of birthdays in my house now, balloons, cake and decorations are all a must for my children and my DH and I always ensure to get gifts they’ll love. My husband isn’t the biggest fan of being made a fuss over on his birthday but he always participates and lets me do as I please because it makes me happy and he says that makes him happy. Every night before a birthday we wrap, decorate and blow up balloons together. Me, DH and the 3 cats on the Livingroom floor. It’s a forced tradition.

That does sound a bit rubbish OP, I don’t remember much about my birthdays but I definitely had a special day with a cake with pink icing and a few presents and they have left a warm feeling in my memory. At junior school age I loved swimming and my parents got me a season ticket for the local swimming pool as my main present a few years in a row. Over the years I had a couple of parties at home and I remember going to the cinema one year, and when a bit older having a couple of friends over for tea. I was a 70s child.

I remember one when I was around 7 where I went to Burger King with all of my friends.

I then remember one where my Mum told me to write my own invitations for a little party in the house. I wrote them on crumpled paper and posted them through my neighbours letterboxes. On the day of the party, nobody turned up. When I asked everyone a few days later, their parents had all assumed they weren’t real invitations. I don’t think I was bothered at the time, but my heart breaks for me now.

Every birthday ever since has just been a £20 note. My Mum always told me Birthdays were a load of shit and didn’t matter.

As a result, I make a huge effort for my Daughters birthdays.

Oh also, no cake. Just nothing special at all. You wouldn’t even have known it was my birthday apart from being £20 richer!

I remember one when I was about 3 because I wanted a princess cake and ended up with a red train. Another one when I winded myself on a bouncy castle. Apart from that I remember mum always put the birthday cards on the doormat and there was always a pile of gifts in the living room. No other memories of parties/ cakes though but I know I had them. I tend to make a huge fuss of my kids birthdays so I think there must be more memories in there somewhere!

I don't remember any or any Christmases. Don't think my parents were much about 'making memories' tbh.

On my twelfth birthday, we went out for a meal. My dad’s an alcoholic. He got really drunk and belligerent and we got thrown out of the restaurant.

Never had one.
Edited to add i was born xmas day my sister was born leap day so we dont bother never bothered.

The only one I specifically remember is my 10th birthday because my Dad took some of my friends and I to McDonald's (when they still had party rooms) and I remember thinking it was the best day ever!

I do know that they were always acknowledged, and that I got some gifts. I'm pretty sure once I was a teenager I was allowed a friend or two to come for a sleepover and we'd get a takeaway.

I remember barely any of my presents which says to me that it's not the material things that are important but knowing that you've been thought about and marking the day in some way.

We don't go "big" for birthdays in our house but have a couple of traditions. The birthday person always chooses what is for breakfast and we always go out for dinner and they choose the location. DD1 (aged 8) wanted a burger for breakfast and then to go to Subway for dinner this year so that's what we did 🤣.

I remember my primary school birthdays fondly. We didn't have birthday parties or anything (wasn't so common back then). I got present (a toy) and a birthday card and had a birthday cake. My family all sang Happy Birthday to me.

The secondary school birthdays weren't such a big deal. I can't really remember getting presents as such. Maybe I got money?

I'm sorry you weren't made a fuss of for your birthday OP (and any other posters).

Hmm. I have an excellemt memory and I remember Christmases (bit dull) but I don't remember any birthdays at all until I was 18. Yet I remember my older brother's birthdays. Maybe he was the golden child.

Oh hang on, we got to choose dinner and I always chose Vesta Chicken Chow Mein 😄 Also Mum would make a cake decorated with Smarties.

I don't recall having any parties but this might be down to my brother's 8th birthday party still being talked about nearly sixty years later, and not in a good way!

I remember my 13th party….we had it in the garden which was all lit up with fairy lights. An older boy from a few doors away brought his record player and speakers over to be the DJ. Someone bought me the ashes to ashes single and I had to go and get my dm as one of the boys kept trying to kiss me 🤮
I don’t remember any before that.

Yes, had proper parties with games and things. And a big tea and homemade cake etc.

But by about 12 I started to hate the whole idea. Any attention, presents, all of it. Took years to get my family to properly accept that I didn't want any birthday celebration at all but it does now go by without a flicker of recognition.

Exactly the same! I make a big fuss over birthdays in our house, and I truly enjoy all the decorating, gift wrapping, and generally just making my kids and husband feel special. My youngest recently had his birthday, and the night before, while decorating downstairs with bunting and balloons, my husband and I were talking about our childhood birthdays. It sort of unlocked some disappointing memories for me, which I keep coming back to.

I remember one. Only because a boy turned up a week before my birthday on the wrong date.
Other than that don't remember a thing

I don’t remember any until I was 17, and my friends organised a party for me. We were very poor, but no effort made at all by either of my parents. I remember once going to the supermarket on my birthday, and feeling really sad that it was the only thing we did that day.

I do but not well. My birthday always fell in the Easter holidays so I never went to school. I remember old fashioned 70s/80s parties with jelly and ice cream and there would be a magician.

I remember a majority of them, my. Mum was on the estate committee so for a fair few years had party’s in the youth centre. I think a few in McDonald’s and a sleep over for my 10th. After that I mostly spent it in the pub my family worked at until I was about 14 when I spent it with my friends, ice skating etc. we weren’t rich by any means. But my mum alway’s made sure we never missed out.

I remember being in the toy shop taking ages to choose. Having friends over for jelly and ice cream. Parcels in the post from my aunt and Nan. We had very little money it was nice.