To think it is a bit ridiculous for a grown up to celebrate and make a big deal of their B'day?

[complexo]

That is it really. I am probably unreasonable because i don't like to celebrate my Birthday myself.
It is just that I went to my friend's birthday today and again very few people turned up. She makes such a big deal of her birthday, invites everybody, worries and expect a lot and always ends up disappointed...than next year she does it all over again, I don't understand.

I know several people who take a full week off work for their birthdays and everything was all about their birthday. One night is fine, a week? Very annoying!

I did quite like something that my old employers brought in which was that everyone got their birthday off every year (or the friday before if it fell on a weekend) and it was sacrosanct. It couldnt be vetoed by anyone, no matter how high up!

You could choose to work it and then you got an extra days pay/holiday in lieu, but most people didnt :o

Mary me and my sister call those people "Dudleys" after Dudley Dursley :o

My children ALWAYS do...and I look forward to it! Just like Mother's Day. The 2 days in a year where I am seriously pampered for the WHOLE day!

It's not about gift or anything like that... it's about doing things that I love... Whether it's a picnic, fishing, home renovations, or whatever!

You know.. my almost daughter in law, as a different thing they do... The daughter buys/does something nice for the MOM on the daughter's birthday...because if it wasn't for the MOM, there wouldn't be daughter! I actually love this idea....but my mom and I are not close... that's my story and I'm sticking to it!

God, no wonder everyone in the Uk is so bloody miserable all the time, if this is the attitude to party/ dinner invitations from friends.

I like birthdays. I see it as celebrating another year of being alive and being healthy. Why not?

I find it very depressing that many of you feel we shouldn't have birthday parties after having children. And whats the point of encouraging children to have friends if you don't enjoy friendships and parties yourself?

I think it a most depressing attitude too Laquitar - it takes all the joy out of life and it makes DCs very materialistic as if only they matter and adults don't. I like the fact that there is as much joy in giving as receiving and DCs an enjoy getting surprises for you. It isn't as if presents matter, homemade cards are lovely. You can have a special day without spending vast amounts of money.
I think it is lovely that znaika now makes it special for herself. I would recommend what I did as a lone parent once he got to 3 years. I used to take him to a small chemist shop, where they had the time, have a word with the shop assistant, give him some money and she would help him choose and then gift wrap it for him- I waited outside. He loved giving me a surprise.

Fucking hell, like i haven't sacrificed enough when I had kids - now I've got to give up my bloody birthday??!! I agree with Hully - EVERYONE should have one day a year where they're number one (if that's what you want) Especially once you have children - your children come first every single day, why shouldn't you have one day a year that is about you?! I'm not bothered about presents or expensive nights out/celebrations. I don't expect people to pay out lots of money, but like the people I love and who love me to be with me and make a bit of a fuss of me that day. A meal with family and friends and breakfast in bed. A cake and a bit of a lie in while someone else looks after DC seems a totally reasonable thing to expect on a birthday. And lucky for me, that's what I usually get!

Also agree exotic that it's good for children to see that sometimes it's not all about them. It's lovely for them to learn to treat people on their birthdays and to make little presents and things. It teaches them the joy of giving instead of just taking all the time. It also remind them that their parents are people not just there to be at their beck and call.

Bidet, bidet, bidet

Is it really so much speedier to type an apostrophe than to type the letters "irth"?!?

My DS is wonderful at buying presents for his girlfriend - I put it down to his love of buying for adults as a DC- if they ever have children is he supposed to stop and say - ' now we have a child we can stop'?!
Even if I have a birthday to myself I go out and treat myself to something- am special and I deserve it! It might just be a nice coffee and cake.

Yabu. You sound like dh. He doesn't celebrate birthdays,anniversaries etc,they are just another day apparently the miserable sod

YANBU

It depends: has she had a life-threatening illness that makes her treasure every year?

I do see the point of marking the passing of time but only if something bad has ended like the first anniversary of being given the all-clear of a cancer test or the anniversary of the end of a war.

But just to have have a fuss because time has passed for no reason? Ridculous.

I see it as a great opportunity to gather all the people that I love and celebrate. I never had a party as a child, so I make up for it with them now I am grown up. Am hoping for a bouncy castle this year.

YABU-birthdays are an individuals special day & they should be allowed to celebrate it as they wish. I love my birthday & always have-I don't make a massive fuss but have never & will never work on the day it is against the law & I always try to do something nice with hubby & kids. If she wants to make a fuss & act like a celeb for the day then let her-you are supposed to be her friend after all.........

Meh! I'm not big on Birthdays

I think this Birthday card sums it up for me

"God, no wonder everyone in the Uk is so bloody miserable all the time, if this is the attitude to party/ dinner invitations from friends."

I love the UK in general but this is one of the things that really bugs me about the UK, getting friends together to celebrate is poo pooed! Whether its halloween or birthdays or big weddings (they're compeditively small and cheap in the UK, I joined a UK wedding forum because I was getting married in the UK and people were bullied off it if they were splashing out, their threads would be bombarded with "well I did my whole day on a fiver" then "a fiver! I did mine for -£10!).

Whether the exuse is a birthday or christmas or easter or halloween or the jubilee or whatever, what you're ACTUALLY celebrating is people, the people you choose to spend the day with, what's so bad and materialistic about that?

DH's birthday is shortly after DSs, DS gets a taste for the A list treatment around his birthday time! Its good for him to see that no, its DADDY'S birthday now and these are daddy's presents, you've had yours!

what's worse, is that the people here who DON'T like to use these occassions as an excuse to celebrate, don't just not celebrate it, they put more effort into not celebrating it than it would take to celebrate it, and make sure that EVERYONE who is enjoying it knows why they think they shouldn't

In our extended family, what we tend to find is that by getting together (usually just at one of our houses - 'birthday tea' or a BBQ, depending on time of year - but occasionally we meet up at a Harvester or somewhere that will accomodate the littlies) when it's people's birthdays, then that is a 'prompt' to arrange to all get together. It's not that any one person's birthday is especially important, but, if we didn't do it on birthdays, then we find time tends to drift on, and you realise we've not all got together for 6 months or more.
Same with friends with children tbh. Couples we used to go out with every weekend, pre-dc, but once getting babysitters comes in to the equation (+ general exhaustion) then meeting up tends to drift by. By arranging to go for a meal for each of our 4 birthdays, it means we still see each other, just adults without dcs, 4 times a year. Lovely.

Bugger that! We make a fuss out of anything we can. Dh was 50 last Tuesday- so far he's had one big BBQ party, several b'day related piss-ups at the pub, huge fuss at work on his actual birthday and ottos we're going to thruxton so can drive an Aston Martin (b'day present from us) and a meal on the way home. It's brilliant!

I like marking big, landmark birthdays but I do think it's odd when adults are very childlike about every, single one.

I know several people who died before they reached my age (42) so I really celebrate my birthday unapologetically.

It's usually a meal out to which I invite extended family, some nice pressies and some chocs. I reflect on how far I've come (or not) and count my blessings.

If anyone thinks's that's odd or wrong then sod 'em!