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 son is 23rd December sadly it means he has no parties as I am not made of money. Sucks.

I’m a December birthday too.

It’s a nightmare to book a meal out, and even if I’m specific that it’s a birthday gathering I still get a festive menu and crackers. I don’t want bloody crackers, they’re for Christmas not birthdays!

My son is 23rd December sadly it means he has no parties as I am not made of money. Sucks

Not really sure I understand this... it would cost the same as his birthday being in another month wouldn’t it? So you could put the money aside earlier in the year (for example that you would be spending if his birthday was in June) and use it for his party in December?

CheshireChat My mum and dad's birthdays are November and early December respectively. I buy their birthday cards in October with DPs !

Mid Dec to early Jan must be rubbish, I have an acquaintance with three DC all born around then. They have a small DC and DP only celebration on their birthday and an "official birthday" in June / July when they have parties, presents from other family and friends etc. Though it is shit if people don't plan and claim expense, it's not like the birthday moves !

Maybe. But DH literally doesn’t get anything from his family for his December 23rd birthday. Occasionally an e-card. Whereas his sister gets taken out for dinner, gifts etc for her September birthday.

Could that be down to family dynamics rather than the month though?

My nieces birthday is this month but I always make sure a fuss is made regardless of Christmas. I'd never join her xmas and bday presents unless she asked me to

My twins have Christmas birthday.
We give them a party in mid February and it works out well. I say if the Queen can have two birthdays anyone can. There is no law stating exactly when you are allowed to celebrate your birthday. Do what is right for you.

I don’t think so Branleuse, in every other way they’re a close family, he gets on great with his parents and sister, I get on with them (in fact they send me gifts for my October birthday)... it just seems to get lost in the whole Christmas thing. They are fairly lazy in general so I think they just can’t be bothered to think of/do something for him so close to Christmas.

YANBU. I have a December birthday and I hated it growing up. My parents were great (no Christmas stuff in the house until my birthday, never any joint presents) but at school I always got "joint" presents and it used to quite upset me. Like, I bought my friends Christmas presents AND birthday presents but most people just got me one. It's not really a very nice feeling actually.

My son is 23rd December sadly it means he has no parties as I am not made of money. Sucks.

Sorry but I think that's quite shitty. You know when his birthday is, just save like you would if he had a June birthday and keep it aside for December!

My eldest dc is the 28 th as is my best friend and my sister is the 30th. I take down all the Christmas cards on the 27th to make room for his cards, get balloons and make sure I have birthday wrapping paper for his presents. Every year but one he has had a home made birthday cake of his choice. I don't want him growing up thinking his birthday isn't as important because of Christmas. I also but his birthday card in October as I find the choice of birthday cards rubbish if I leave it to late. I also do the same for my sister and friend.

I have an early December birthday and it's shit.
I had a special birthday this year, my parents were away, my siblings were away, my best friends couldn't come to my party because of various Christmas based reasons.
My party consisted of acquaintances and two uni friends.
My parents forgot to send me a card (not even their worst faux pas - on year DM handed me a Christmas card on my actual birthday, only when I opened it and looked disappointed did she remember that it was even my birthday ).
I've never had decent presents or even a vaguely memorable birthday, it just gets eaten by Christmas every year. Then I get berated as a grinch by people. I hate Christmas.

My DPs birthday is New Year's Day. Crap because most places where we live are closed, and friends and families are partied out. We can't even go out for a nice meal as generally the only places open and serving food are hungry horse type places.
My birthday is valentine's day. Fine as a kid, as an adult means I didn't go out with friends on the day, but easy enough to celebrate on another day instead.

My birthday is the 19th of December and I absolutely love it! From reading this thread it seems like I have been lucky but my birthday was always made to feel like such a special event. Even now (27) I have a birthday/Christmas lunch being hosted for me tomorrow, being taken out for dinner by my DP on the 19th and my parents are flying in on the 20th to continue celebrations!

My parents did always make a big deal of separate presents and everyone knows not to wrap my birthday pressies in Christmas paper! Of course there were always some 'joint' pressies, but either that was due to it being a 'big' gift or from people that don't know me very well anyway.

I love Christmas and it always feels like such a fun, festive time of year for my family. I was brought home from hospital on Christmas Eve so we always have a big celebration then with the cake, pressies etc. Reading this thread though I can see for some people it is a huge nightmare! I wonder if being just before Christmas is slightly better than after, as people aren't yet sick of all the festivities and celebrations!

Regardless - HUGH happy birthday to all my fellow December babies! You are just as special as every other month :)

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

I was supposed to be born in March!

I'm an early January baby. My dh once tried the "shall I get a combined present?"
He only said it once.

RollaCola84 that's what I should do, but I always forget so I'm left trawling the shops for something decent.

SoyDora Must depend on where you live, last year was worse actually! I have a feeling that shops get all the Christmas stuff out so early that there's hardly anything left in December.

Very early Jan here.

Years of Christmas and Birthday joint presents. Funny how they were never any bigger than anyone elses Christmas present.

As an adult I don't care. But as a child I did note it.

The good thing my daughter likes about her NYD birthday is she gets better pressies as I get them in the sales on Boxing Day so the quality of gifts she gets is better than it would be mid year.

"Piffle11

I would never dream of skimping on a birthday present, just because it's close to Christmas! I think you're relatives are rather thoughtless, OP, and using the 'Christmas expense' excuse to not bother."

I agree with this. It's not like they don't know when it is, why not budget ahead and look for deals in the months leading up to it.

Just about the only parenting my parents got right was giving us "half-birthdays" in summer!

God I hadn't even thought about when he's older and having birthday meals out with set Christmas menus with crackers! That's rubbish!

I did wonder if I was being grabby if I'm honest. But the main culprits are certainly not skint. Having their 3rd holiday this year and going off to New Zealand next month. I understand things are "tight" at Christmas but I think at least a decent present worth a tenner in some birthday wrapping paper wouldn't have been a huge ask. I think it just screams "I don't have any fucks to give" but if we did the same for their summer born, it would not go down well and be made into a huge issue.

If you manage to budget thousands for a holiday surely you can budget ten quid at Christmas for a present. (Really I'm bitter about the 3rd holiday )

I'm also really sorry to hear about the lack of effort lots of you have received on your birthday it's just sad

CheshireChat it's only having DPs birthday in October that reminds me. It's routine now to buy all three. I forgot wrapping paper this year, trying to find non Christmas wrapping the first week of December !

I have two January born children and one October. The two January ones defo get crap gifts or forgotten in comparison to the October born by my brother and his wife and my sister. Everyone else still treats them all the same. But they are all much better off financially and wouldn't be left struggling in January like others are.

Having said that my eldests bday is the 2nd of January. Parties were always a poor show and even now as a teenager friends drop out at the last minute. She had a sleepover organised for six girls last year all but one cancelled within two hours of when they were meant to come. We always organise for the weekend after her bday as obviously lots of people are busy 2nd January. My sister's bday is 3rd January for her 21st 15 of us were going out. Every single one cancelled that day except me and my mum. The last cancellation pretended she was coming right until we left the pub to walk to the train to get off it and when half way there she text she hasn't got on train and was giving it a miss.