To think children don't need 2 birthdays a year!!

[scottishegg]

Hi all my 5 year old niece is due to have a whole class birthday party with all the trimmings include a birthday cake with 6 on it next week even though her birthday isn't until the end of August!

My sister in law explained it's because her birthday falls in the summer holidays and not everyone can make her party due to holidays etc, Im Just confused by this as do I buy her 2 gifts one next week one on her actual birthday? ( my children are invited to the party) Also I feel a little sorry for her sister who only gets one birthday a year!

I can understand bringing a birthday forward by a few weeks or even having the party on the following weekend which falls in September but to bring it forward by 4 months!

Feel free to tell me to mind my own business but I'm a right in thinking its a little strange!

Seems the only ways to resolve this are either to:

• be relaxed and let the kid enjoy themselves, just give whatever you want when ever you want
• force your beliefs on to others
• or petition the government to ban sex in October and November to avoid the majority of summer birthdays.

I'd be loving it as reason not to have a big party. Can't stand the bloody things.

Both my dds have birthdays in early Jan and I haven't got round to dd1's party yet. The nearest to her birthday that she's had it is end of Feb but it's often in July and last year was April. No one has complained in the slightest. And of course I don't expect 2 lots of presents. Family celebrate it in Jan and her schoolfriends come to her party later. No big deal and it suits us.

Oh and her cousin is in her class so always comes to the parties too and they just give her a present on her birthday as usual, present giving isn't a condition of invitation.

That seems a bit odd. I've known children to have a party a couple of weeks before their birthday but a few months seems very far ahead. At that age it's a long time. I would probably just get her one gift and ask whether she should have this on her actual birthday or at the party. I did meet a family on holiday once whose daughter was born just before or after Christmas so they did her party in June. I think she only got gifts once a year though.

One of mine had a half birthday party once, well a teaparty (not birthday party) on her half birthday. This was due to her sibling being born a few days before her birthday so she missed out on a party on the day so had a delayed one. There were presents and a cake but no 'happy birthdays' or singing etc. Actually there was one birthday card as someone misunderstood the situation but the others all knew it was just a party, not a birthday.

I think it's odd to treat it like her birthday when it isn't but I get why she would party outside the summer holidays. Odd timing too