To be annoyed by christmas cards given as birthday cards!!

[hanreeoak]

My son was three yesterday, he had two christmas cards given to him as birthday cards, both with 'Merry Christmas' printed on the front and a pressie wrapped in christmas paper. I know I should be greatful that these people remembered his birthday and I am, It just irratates the hell out of me. He was due Christmas day and came early which I'm glad about, it just seems a raw deal that his sisters get special cards, lots of visitors ect (October and May babies) but his birthday gets taken over with Christmas. People have said sorry too busy to get a gift or visit him, he can't help when he was born, I feel sorry for people that are born even closer to Christmas.
Ahhhh, rant over.

My DD's birthday is on Boxing Day, she has over the years learned that some people forget/are thoughtless or think it is OK to give her joint birthday and christmas presents.

it used to really piss her off when she was younger when we would organise a party for her on her birthday and there would be loads of no shows - I tried to explain to her the Boxing day was generally a family day when people would visit extended family etc .....it didn't help, she would sulk for aaaages

We came up with a plan a few years ago and told her that she could choose a date in the summer to have an official birthday party and that worked VERY well!!!

She is 19 this year and has grown up considerably - she says she can't be arsed with birthday parties anymore as she too old and she would rather go for a meal and a game of 10 pin bowling

Think Boxing Day and New Years day must be the worse two days of the year to have a birthday. Christmas Day birthdays at least have a bit of kudos.
Although shops and things are open these days. Must have been much worse when everything properly closed down for the period.

I was in a card shop today, and in amongst the christmas cards were ones with 'Happy Birthday at Christmas Time' on them.

They looked exactly like christmas cards, with the snow and the glitter, etc. The only thing that made them stand out was the words.

Why would people buy these instead of normal birthday cards?

My DC's were born in October and March, but if they had been Christmas babies, I'd have been upset about getting presents wrapped in christmas paper.

Nothinggold I can say with all certainty that gifts I buy are not "any old present" and tbh I rarely ask the birthday person what they want. I know my friends and family pretty well, and see things and think "ooh, X would love that" or "Y mentioned they liked such and such perfume, ill get that". I'd ask if there was anything they wanted if I were struggling, but half of the fun is in the choosing.

My nephew has a late December birthday - from when he was old enough he'd have a 'not birthday' in July with pressies and just get tiny bits to match his Christmas pressies on his real birthday, although we did also make a fuss on the actual day. He always loved it.

I think we'll be doing a 'not birthday' too. The kids interests and needs change so quickly, I'll need a mid-year possibility to treat DS2 to something he's interested in then, rather than save everything until Christmas.

And if I hadn't had sex in March, then I'd never have met this unique, gorgeous, very loud, stubborn, bundle of joy.

DS was born 17 years ago on Christmas Day. We have always made his birthday special and it's never been a problem butthen we have never stressed about it either. He used to have his party in about mid Jan when all the Christmas hype was done. Perhaps it's easier on the actual day because it feels quite special.

I have given children birthday presents wrapped in Xmas paper in June and July when at the last minute I have found the wrapping paper has run out. Have had to get the dc to colour in photocopy paper when the Xmas paper has run out!

t0lk13n

How can anyone wish you a happy birthday when they know your father has died? How thoughtless!

nothingoldcanstay

You don't have to buy presents a week or two before a birthday or Christmas. I often see things during the year at any time and think, "Oh, would love that for her/his birthday or Christmas". That means I have no dreadful rush to get everything in the shopping crowds of December. Yes, I usually have one or two things left to get but that's all - not dozens!

Hmm. DD and DP both have Christmas birthdays (26th and 28th) and TBH I probably don't give as many gifts as I might if they had June birthdays. But that's not down to being unimaginative or stingy, it's just that in 6 months time they might both want/need/like different things. I've got to find double the amount of presents that they want right now and without resorting to buying crap just for the sake of it, it's kind of tricky. I just have a pile of gifts I think they'd like that I'm going to arbitrarily assign Christmas or birthday paper to.

Giving one card is a bit mean but it's environmentally friendly and does the same job. And I've done the joint present thing too - I think he enjoyed the (bargain second-hand) car I bought him more than he would've enjoyed two gifts of half the value!