To find it a bit upsetting that my Dec born dc gets shit presents...

[grinchmas]

From relatives. I know it's an expensive time of year but it's the same date every year, hardly shocking.

I put a lot of effort into all my nieces and nephews birthday presents throughout the year and wouldn't dream of wrapping their present up in Christmas paper or spending £3 on a present "because it's Christmas soon". Every birthday so far this has happened!

I'm probably being unreasonable, but I just feel sorry for my dc!

My dad’s birthday is Boxing Day. As a child he always got birthday and Christmas gift in one he’s 80 now and still brings it up (I have always made sure I got him separate presents). DD’s birthday is mid-December and we always make sure to make a fuss of her birthday

On a similar vein my DD is a leap year baby, I need more fingers to count the amount of times I've heard "oh that's a money saver isn't it" ha fooking ha!!!!

This is why I'd never plan a baby to be born in December

In the real world dd was meant to be born in November. I was pregnant for 10 months. She wasn’t coming out.

I think she was doing a jig and accidentally kicked the wrong place and my waters broke. She would have still been in there for a bit more time if she hadn’t been break dancing. Even then they had to go in and get her out.

My eldest DS was born Dec 26th. I was always that arsey parent who insisted that close family didn't lump Christmas and birthday presents together. It never had to cost much - token presents were fine - but it had to be one for Christmas and one for his birthday. We used to do a half birthday in June when he was little so he could have a party with friends.

I have a friend who celebrates her december child's birthday in the beginning of november. They ramdonly chose november 2nd as the day they celebrate it every year. She has a party, people come, her little boy gets normal gifts (not wrapped in xmas paper, etc). When it's his actual birth day on the 23rd they watch a movie at home and have french fries and cake (small cake) for dinner. I like this solution!

My birthday is ON Christmas Day and I’ve never received a joint gift or a birthday one in Christmas paper, that’d be sad for a child. YANBU.

This is why I'd never plan a baby to be born in December

Nor me, but he decided to arrive 4 weeks early . . .

"This is why I'd never plan a baby to be born in December! "

I find comments like this a bit silly really. Bearing in mind babies can come early or late, you would be writing off more than one month if you are TTC. It’s not like you just pick your month and hey presto. Even if babies came dead on time, deliberately stopping trying just to avoid December seems odd to me. I can’t imgaine being that much of a control freak or being that bothered about a December birthday!

My DSs birthday is 23rd Dec.We have always(he will be 25 this year)given separate birthday and Christmas presents as have all our relatives. What I do find hard is buying a nice birthday card as a lot of the shops give over a lot of their shelf space to Christmas cards.What I don’t like are cards which say happy December birthday. I think they’re very impersonal.

My daughter has her birthday on the 20th Dec and my other daughter has hers the first week of Jan.

The Jan birthday is the worst because people are well and truly over celebrating and buying presents.

My sister complains about having an August birthday because she was young for her year and therefore always at a disadvantage.
I've got an early Jan birthday. It's not that great.

Even at this time of year non Christmas paper is available. I picked up some for my dBro's birthday. My sil has hers on NYE which is truly rubbish.

"This is why I'd never plan a baby to be born in December! "

I was premature. Life isn’t quite that easily conformed to your plans.

My birthday is Christmas Day and I will be 49 this year. I hate it. Xmas wrapping paper, after thought presents, no one wanting to go out, restaurant prices ramped up or full of work parties but being expected to join in enthusiastically with everyone else's birthday celebrations.

It is horrible

This is why I'd never plan a baby to be born in December

To be honest, after years of ttc and taking fertility drugs, when I found out I was pregnant, the fact that DD was due in December, was the last thing on my mind!

I'm a new years day baby. It sucks. I have to 'celebrate' on NYE because people are too skint/hungover to do anything separate. I dread it every year. Had the whole 'It's for Christmas and your birthday' (I tried that with a July birthday friend once and they weren't impressed but I think I made my point) and presents wrapped in Christmas paper. Christmas cards as birthday cards. Awful

@SadChristmasBaby

Gosh, I’m sorry it’s been that way for you. I don’t “meet” many other Christmas babies. Thankfully my parents/friends and then husband/kids always have made a big effort to separate my birthday from Christmas Day...though I have never had a birthday party with friends! Happy early birthday to you!!

Mine is 21st December and planning any sort of party was always impossible! Kids could never come as their parents had plans for Christmas or were too busy gearing up. As an adult it’s the same, everyone is far too busy to spare the weekend before Christmas!!!

I always got gifts wrapped in Christmas paper, or combined birthday/Christmas gifts!

In your situation OP- I would STOP making such an effort for anyone whose parents don’t return the favour!
I don’t get this logic of ‘even though they don’t make the effort- I will’ my mum does it all the time and baffles me!

If they do a shit job for your kids - do one back- buy nieces/nephews a tube of smarties for birthdays and wrap it in left over Christmas wrap as ‘that’s all you had in the house’ - I would!

I have had some gorgeous joint Christmas and birthday presents. My birthday is less than a week after Christmas.

I can’t believe adults still feel hard done by! At least people are likely to be off work at this time of year and available for trips out for lunch or birthday tea.

My DD birthday is the week before Xmas and she has always been lucky and not had combined birthday and Xmas presents off anyone .I would be pretty miffed if anyone did do it tbh .

@ChristmasArmadillo

Thank you for your lovely message. Happy birthday to you too.

What is interesting on here is that it seems the people who don't mind Christmas birthdays are the ones whose parents made an effort to make their birthdays special. I think that is the key. It isn't about presents, it's about making children feel special.

My friend's DD was born on christmas day, so instead of celebrating DD's birthday then she chose a date in the middle of the year. All her family and friends understood and go along with it each year and her DD has a normal birthday experience like everyone else.

But YANBU to be annoyed!!

Yes Weetabix I agree. I love my Christmas Day birthday and it’s due to my parents making a big effort and never complaining about it. I can easily see how it could’ve gone the other way and I would’ve hated it. Gifts don’t matter as much in the long run as how a child is made to feel.

Both my children are December babies. Past few years I lean towards ‘experiences’ rather than physical presents. Zoo keeper for the day, Harry Potter studios, and Swim with sharks. It saves us from being overloaded with stuff.
We then get big outdoorsy stuff as a summer present.
I also have 4 of my nieces and nephews born in December and like other posters I make sure they are wrapped in birthday paper to make the distinction.

My DH’s birthday is dec 30th - he hates it! As a kids everything was birthday and Xmas joint. Nobody ever wanted to go out as it was New Year’s Eve the next day. Mine is 27th Jan (now holocaust Memorial Day!) so everyone is solemn (as they should be!) and no one has any money (inc myself and dh)!!! Also it’s that middle of Winter low that everyone gets! I keep saying I’m going to move my celebration to July!!