to NOT do a party for DS's 2nd birthday?

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He's made no mention of birthdays or parties. I'm not sure he knows what it's all about. By the time he's 3 I expect he'll be wanting a party but for now is it unreasonable just to mark the date with family?

Or am I going to scar him for life?

It depends on what you mean by party. A formal actual party with his friends isn't necessary ime

Just do a simple party tea with a cake & candles & invite family if you like

DS is 2 next week. Trip to the animal park on his birthday. Sandwiches and cake with the family next weekend....and he'll be over the moon with that!

My boy is 4 and has never had a party. I have made a birthday cake every year, though, and his nan, grandad, aunt, and cousin have usually come to help eat it

I did a family tea/ party for the first 2 birthdays and said never again. For his third birthday we had a family day out and it was much better. And cheaper! When he's older I might say yes again but he's too young to care.

I suppose by party I'm imagining a big do with lots of friends (well that would be my friends as DS doesn't exactly have friends at 2).

I wouldn't want to ignore his bday though - I'd want to take him out somewhere and have balloons, cakes and presents at home with family.

It's just that all my friends seem to be doing actual parties for their 2 year old (and lots did so when they were 1 as well).

Yes I like family days out :)

My son didn't have a birthday party when he was two, and he won't be having one when he turns three. Of course you're not going to scar him for life. Those village-hall-bouncy-castle-hired-entertainers extravaganzas for very small children strike me as a hideous waste of time and energy.

Invite a couple of his friends and their mums around and let him play while you chat. Then do a birthday tea with a cake. Job done.

I'm actually having the same discussion with dp. DS has his birthday on easter Sunday this year and we would usually just go to his parents for dinner.
I think we should just take him up there and dps mum always does birthday cakes anyway.
He thinks we should have a party at the soft play place. So not sure as of yet what's happening.

But maybe just get balloons and cupcakes to mark the occasion.

He hasn't mentioned it because he is almost 2, he knows nothing about it. Have a small family get together, when he is old enough to have his own friends is the time or big parties.

We took a cake into nursery for ds2 second and third birthdays. For his third birthday we, that is me, DH, ds1 and ds2, went to Peppa Pig World (we live a 15min drive away). For his second we just had a special tea at home, but his birthday is just before Christmas so we had a pretty packed social calendar already.

I think you are being v. sensible!

I would just have a birthday tea with family. Cake and balloons. He will love it, and is not missing out by not having a big party. Plenty of time for that on later birthdays.

My DS is 8 next week and has never had a party so I will go with YANBU :)

Thanks everyone! I feel happy with not doing a party now :)

We never did parties for 2 year olds. Had special family tea with cake and party food instead. In fact, 4 was the earliest that anything resembling a "proper party" got held. By that time the birthday child knew all about birthdays and had friends to share their birthday with too. Interestingly, ds2 and ddil did the same with dgd1 and she had her first party recently for her 4th birthday. Of deprivation, there have been no allegations!

At that age, we just had Grandparents and Godparents round for tea and cake.

Mine started having small parties in a low-key way at 3, when they went to playgroups/pre-school and had more idea of them.

IME, the first couple of years of Infant School are prime party-time.

Aha. Just smiling wryly at the idea of balloons. My oldest was terrified of balloons at 2, 3, 4........,10 etc.

Do what you feel happy with to mark it.

DS is 3 and hasn't had a party yet. If I have my way, well avoid it for many years to come, at least until he is at school. As his birthday is in the middle of our long summer holidays and between Christmas and New Year when everyone is on holidays, I'm going to try and steer him towards days out with a couple of friends rather than a party.

i hate 1st/2nd birthdays etc. the kids don't understand anyway and parents being made to play party games is cringeworthy.

We did a "party" with one of his "friends" and family for Ds's 2nd birthday. He loved it. He would have been incredibly stressed out with loads of other kids running around playing with his stuff anyway. Why not just get a cake and candles and invite some family over o give him a bit of attention?

DS2 was 4 days old on DS1's second birthday. No, he didn't have a party. Just my mum and sister visiting to see DS2 and some cake. Is DS1 scarred for life? Nah, seems fine.

Thanks everyone - I think I will just plan a simple afternoon pretty much like I did for his first birthday. With just a few people there to give him lots of attention he'll love it and thanks to your messages I won't feel bad :)