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Original poster

mid birthday year party

31 replies

mim64 · 03/06/2007 20:03

I would like any suggestions please.

My son was born in 02/01 so we decided that instead of having a birthday party for him on that day which is abit inconvenient as it's after a bank holiday and most people are back at work, we would have a party exactly 6 months after his birthday. Now has anyone else done this and what did you do regarding a birthday cake? He is going to be 2 1/2 this year so we thought this would be a could time to start the tradition.

OP posts:
hana · 03/06/2007 20:05

he was born Jan 2?
I would prob hold his party on the next weekend, kids don't knkow about bank holidays and up until my oldest was school age, most of her parties were during the week anyways.

Katymac · 03/06/2007 20:08

I think it's great idea

DD asked us to do this - but I forgot (bad mum)

She is 21st Nov & hates it as it's so cold - so no fun parties

Have a cake

unknownrebelbang · 03/06/2007 23:01

My youngest has a friend who was born Christmas Day, and his family decided to celebrate his birthday on 25th June instead.

Works well for them.

flibbertyjibbet · 03/06/2007 23:45

DS1's birthday is 18 Dec. 1st birthday family turned up but all his little friends were busy doing family or xmas stuff so he was a bit like billy no mates.
For his 2nd birthday we had family round on the day and he got pressies from his friends etc for his birthday. Then on I think it was the last sunday in April I organised a 'non-birth-day' (thats what the invites said), organised an outdoor activity day at the local park/woodland place with basic food on after for the kids at the cafe. Most invitees turned up, I had a great time organising it, they all had a great time running round outdoors (which you can't do late afternoon in December!) and the parents all loved me cos at the bottom of the invites I put 'no presents please its not his birthday'. Everyone thought it was a great idea and I will do it again next year. So it wasn't 6 months after his birthday, just a little while after so that we could get a nice day to do outdoor stuff. If I was doing an indoor activity I might do it say end January.

BishyBarneyBee · 03/06/2007 23:50

two big candles and one little one - do everything else the same.

Make it clear on the invite that it is a half birthday party and either no presents or that it is his only celebration this year.

Good luck - will be fab!

BabiesInBedsGalore · 03/06/2007 23:55

flibbertyjibbet - what a clever idea... esp re not having everyone feel like they have to bring presents. im pretty sure we didnt all give each other presents when we were kids (??) cards yes, presents...i dont think so. the whole present thing with families i barely know - giving and receiving - is a bit, i dunno, uneasy really. (well, if its a decent pres its a bit OTT when you hardly know them and you dont want them thinking youre showing off or asking for reciprocation, and if its just a cruddy thing, well, whats the point?)
might try your approach.

flibbertyjibbet · 04/06/2007 00:07

Fil's birthday is boxing day. Am hoping that Mil doesn't think my non-birthday is a great idea too or we might not have to go to theirs on boxing day, as so far for 8 years its got us out of going to theirs on xmas day

jandeb · 04/06/2007 00:08

I had first 2 born December and last 2 born July. 2+2=4 Planned the younger 2 cos I wanted summer babies after having Christmas babies and everyone being too busy or combine the pressies. So getting to the point, planned a garden/pool party for my summer born son 7/7, invited everyone he knew, perfect day. DS(8th bithday)!!!! broke his arm in both bones had an op to put metal rods in, 2 days before his party.
Yes! he could not go in the pool but never mind the people who came went for a swim, but most people were away on their summer hols. Does anyone get what I'm trying to say.

flibbertyjibbet · 04/06/2007 00:15

Bishy, I don't think you can make a little kid wait 6 months for his only celebration, they just wouldn't understand. Thats why we do the family thing on the day so he still gets a fuss, presents, candles to blow out etc. Also, at nursery they do a cake thing and the birthday child wears a big hat in the shape of a birthday cake so I think it only fair that his birthday is his birthday and the other celebration is his 'non birthday'.

katelyle · 04/06/2007 06:10

My dd's birthday is 21/12. She has her proper party sometime around then, but she has a little party with her best friends on June 21st (midsummer day) She gets a present from us - it's always been a good way of giving her the sort of outdoor things that are better suited to summer (she got her micro scooter for her half birthday, for example) And yes, she gets two cakes, but that's just selfishness on my part - I love making birthday cakes! Trouble is, we ow have to do the same thing with ds, whose birthday's not til February!

BishyBarneyBee · 04/06/2007 12:38

oh fibberty I meant to make sure the guests know from the invite if presents are expected or not - I wasn't meaning make the poor little mite come to terms with his half year birthday and tell him to get over it- even I am not that cruel!

I was just thinking from the point of view of the parents of guests it would need to be clear when the 'gifting' would take place.

Peopl get their knickers in a twist if you do anything out of the ordinary.

I think it is a wonderful idea.

flibbertyjibbet · 04/06/2007 13:58

My older sis has birthday 14th Dec and got so sick of everyone giving her a 'combined' present.
Oh, Mim64, are you Catholic, if so then just pretend to be Spanish, thats were my big sis has lived this past 20 years, her kids are spanish and they all follow the spanish custom of basically ignoring their birthday and having the celebrations on the day of the saint whose day they were born on.

Furrymummy · 04/06/2007 14:04

Fab idea. My baby is due 20th Dec, and DH and I will have same dilemma. A friend told me her niece and her goddaughter both have Xmas birthdays and every year they have a half birthday party 6 mths after their actual birthdays.
So I guess it's quite common!

Dogsby · 04/06/2007 14:05

i never stick to dates ofr kdis birthdyas till thye are about 6

Original poster
mim64 · 04/06/2007 15:51

Thanks everyone for your comments. I like the idea of calling it his non-birthday celebration. We do want any pressies for him as we still celebrate his birthday with pressies, cake etc. Unfortunately my husband forgot to put this on the invites so we will have to tell them verbally. Yes I think it's a nice idea too as I was thinking that next year we can go to the park and do a picnicky thing, footie etc.

OP posts:
Original poster
mim64 · 04/06/2007 15:52

OOps (blush) mean't we do NOT want any pressies. We're really not that greedy

OP posts:
beckybrastraps · 04/06/2007 15:54

There was a thread about this recently....

My birthday is Dec 30. I always celebrated my birthday on my birthday. To do otherwise would have been wierd.

We did have special teas on our 'half birthdays' - and I do that now with my children. But no presents and no party.

PersonalClown · 04/06/2007 15:59

My birthday is 27th December and I also hate the combined Xmas/birthday present.
I tend to have a big blow out mid-year too.
I remember my parents only throwing one party for me when I was 8. After that they said it wasn't worth it as lots of people were busy with xmas family things etc.
My biggest bugbear with my birthday is it is an afterthought for most people. How hard is it a buy one more present when doing your Xmas shopping?

beckybrastraps · 04/06/2007 16:05

I have never had a joint present. Or not had a party. It's not an automatic consequence of a birthday near Christmas.

bookwormmum · 04/06/2007 16:05

Do what I did and have a child in the summer . My dd's birthday is at the end of June so that divides the year up neatly regarding parties.

FWIW my family have 7 birthdays between the end of February/middle of April which doesn't include Mother's day or Easter celebrations. We still celebrated our birthdays on the correct day as they're sacrosant in our family. A non-birthday party is a nice idea though - just make it clear about no gifts expected but I'll expect you'll still get some.

bookwormmum · 04/06/2007 16:08

My cousin's birthday is near Christmas and my Aunt used to make a thing of it being totally separate - she even said once that 'Christmas is nothing to do with birthdays' . I hope her vicar never heard her say that . I think this was in case we tried giving a joint gift to my coz, which would never have happened in my family. Birthdays are birthdays no matter when they fall. However getting folk out to parties is probably more difficult at Christmas.

flibbertyjibbet · 04/06/2007 17:46

A good friend of mine's birthday is on new years day. He has given up trying to celebrate it since he turned drinking age (about 20 years ago!) as everyone is so hung over that no one can face celebrating his birthday with him!
I must stress that ADULTS never got my sister joint pressies, it was siblings school friends, and sometimes boyfriends but obviously by xmas they were exes! My cousins birthday is 25 Dec, so up till 2pm it was birthday with all her pressies and cake etc then had a much later xmas dinner and did the family xmas pressie thing much later in the day. As a child I used to think 'why is my mum getting her a separate birthday present?' and now that I have a child born near christmas I am ASHAMED of myself!!!

MARGOsBeenPlayingWithMyNooNoo · 04/06/2007 19:10

Every year I would complain to my mum about my birthday being so near xmas (4/12) and told her that I would never inflict the same torture on my children.... dd2 was born on 12/12/06 - her due date was xmas day - sods law or what?

My plan is to celebrate her first proper birthday on 12/12 but wait 18 months to celebrate her 2 1/2 birthday on the 12th June - like you mim64

runnyhabbit · 04/06/2007 19:17

A girl at school did this - her birthday was on 23 or 24 Dec. She had a beach party in the summer hols. Brill idea.

My birthday is 7th Jan, and I do remember my Godmother giving me a Christmas selection box for my birthday, when I was about 7 or 8. My mum "had a word" with her, and she didn't make the same mistake twice

Original poster
mim64 · 07/06/2007 19:17

I wanted to give my son the chance to have birthday parties as I never did. My birthday is 18th dec. The first birthday cake I have had of ever remember having was on my 15th birthday. It does upset me even now in my forties that I never had a party when I was a child. I always got joint birthday/christmas pressies as well. As I said in my previous posting we do celebrate his proper birthday with pressies and birthday cake, it's just that when it comes to having a little party for him friends are doing their own family things around that time of year and our friends are usually getting over christmas and not really wanting more party food.

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