Half-Birthdays.... AIBU?

[JustaHalf]

Got an invite last week for a birthday party.

DS was excited, and I was happy for him. Then saw the date, it's while we are away, so we couldn't go. DS cried.

Driving back I though, ah, poor child, how nice of him to invite DS, (DS is older) perhaps I'll just get a card and a little gift to say thanks for inviting us. DS will leave the school and start his new term in Big School in September.

So I looked at the invite... imagine my to see the party is... GET THIS..

For a child who will be 3 1/2 - yes THREE AND A HALF!!!

So am I correct in thinking that if we were able to attend, that the correct thing to do would be to take a gift? and a card?

Does anyone know where one can buy a Half Birthday card?... or is there a business opportunity there??....

Would we have to sing Happy Birthday?

How many candles does the little darling blow out? 3 and a stump?

Now I totally 'get' that winter birthdays are tougher for DC because you can't hire a bouncy castle and have a run about in the garden. (Unless Hypothermia is your bag)

DS birthday is the week before Christmas, we didn't have a Children's Party, just family. Have I deprived him? is he scarred for life?

Or should I book a hall sharpish????

FWIW, my opinion is that if you want to throw a summer party for your winter-born DC, all well and good, but not to dress it up as a birthday party, just a fun day for all invited.

Secretly tempted to RSVP saying Sorry that we can't make the party, let us know when he's actually 4....

So, AIBU?

btw, namechanged for this... have been here yonks, honest.... Got a few more days at the school, don't want to cause a ruck there before DS leaves if I'm outed....

No, the birth date was not Christmas Day, it's apparently at the end of Jan....

DS is going to a birthday party tomorrow for a child who's birthday was last month, the parents are just a bit slack at organising parties on time.

Maybe your parents are just very very lazy when it comes to organising parties and it took them six months to get off their arses and do it?

Is your DS is year 6? Did he really cry at not being able to go to a party? Poor thing.

I have never heard of this before but a thought occured to me. Maybe the child's birthday is on the anniversary of something else, like a relative's death and they have moved the birthday celebrations because it is too upsetting.

And I'm not sure how namechanging will prevent this causing a ruck if someone else form the school sees this. It will be obvious who it is, surely? All you're protecting by changing your MN name is your identity on MN, they won't be able to search for all your other posts. But they'll know who you are at the school gate.

half birthdays are bonkers things arranged by over-doting parents for their precocious PFB's.

Wacko.

I heard on the local radio yesterday that this is becoming common and that you can get half-birthday cards now.....

There was an article in The Times mag today.

No he's at Nursery. overmyddeadbody.

There are no mitigating circumstances as far as I'm told. This is an additional party in the summer for a winter born child.

My DS is winter born, It'd never occur to me to throw a half-birthday I'd be too .

So, if indeed it is a 'half' birthday party, can you not just give them half of the birthday card and half of the present and say you will give them the rest on their actual birthday.
Go on, I dare you Just imagine the look on their faces

LOL purepuuple!

seems it's catching on

I have a friend who throws 'half birthdays' for her child too and I don't really get it either. Her child was born on Dec 15th, my child was born on boxing day, but I wouldn't even consider throwing a half birthday for my Dd.

When we go(and yes, I do go for the child), we do sing 'happy half birthday'(quietly in my case)and there is a cake with 3 and a half candles. She also gets her gifts that day too; I don't give gifts so that doesn't affect me and if I did, I'd give them on her actual birthday.

My view is that it's bound to be confusing for the child and maybe gives them a bit of a superiority complex having two birthdays a year. Each to their own I guess.
YANBU.

My Dd has not had a birthday party yet and at 3.6 she hasn't noticed yet either. When she's a bit older, I might consider throwing a small birthday tea at the beginning of December, or even the middle!!! but certainly not months and months later.

My ds had his party six months late once because my Mum was really ill around his birthday. We made it quite clear to him that it was a one off.

He wants to have a party in the summer hols because his birthday is in February. I have said he can have a party but it won't be a birthday party and he won't be getting presents and it will be a cheapo water fight party in the back garden.

IMO only the Queen should be allowed two birthdays!

with my nephew he has an 'official birthday' as they call it he was born new year BUT he doesn't have a big party just a special day out.It came about because smil's birthday is new year and she was always left out on her birthdays as a child.

When my ds stared school (jan) we held an easter party to help him (and me) make new friends, mainly because his birthday is late august and he wouldn't be having a birthday in the school term time. This went down really well and lasting friendships made. There were no presents or candles blown although each child went home with an easter egg. And we only did it that one year.

DS will be having an official birthday party half way through the year, but then he was born on Christmas day. I do think for non-Christmas birthdays it's a bit odd.

speaking as the mother of two poor deprived winter birthday children i'm shocked that anyone would have the audacity to do something so utterly bizarre!

There are loads of fun indoor things you can arrange for a winter party... friends of ours rented a hall and hired a bouncy castle, others went to venues that catered for parties like soft play or a local pet farm with a huge indoor area, in our case and several others we simply let the kids rampage around the house for a few hours and they were perfectly happy.

The mother needs to get a grip really.

I wanted to throw an 'official' birthday party for DD tomorrow as that is when she SHOULD have been 1. As it was, she was born in April at 27 weeks! Monkey! I never got organised really, but I quite like the idea of her having 2 birthdays like the Queen - however, I wouldn't market it as that really and certainly wouldn't expect gifts!

It's the Road to Madness. Barking. People just keep reaching dizzying new heights of nuttiness.

For Jan birthdays it is bonkers. For Christmas Day birthdays it is a great idea; and I know someone who's birthday was two days before his baby brother died, so he gets a half birthday celebration too.

Wouldn't expect gifts, but the chance to have proper parties with lots of friends who wouldn't be able to come to one very, very close to Christmas is a good idea IMO.

My DD3 was born on 20 Dec, and all the people we invite kindly come to her party, which we try to do the weekend before her birthday if possible - I guess some people aren't that kind and maybe parents find that people just say 'oh, it's too close to Christmas, bugger the child's feelings, I'm just not going to bother'.

Half birthday? WTF?!! Thats just bonkers.

LoL- try moonpig online! You can personalise cards there.

My DS is new years eve and none of his friends are around, would love to throw a second party but know i never would!