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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Tell me about your January birthdays?

145 replies

Exceptionallyeccentric · 29/12/2018 17:05

I’ve seen lots of complaining on here recently about people with December birthdays/their dc have December birthdays. And everything that is crap about it.
And I get it.
But Aibu to think January is an even worse time?
Dc2 is due the end of next month.
I had a conversation today with a shop assistant about how much she hates January and what a dreary and miserable time of year it is and it’s got me thinking.

At least a December birthday people are generally happy and jolly.
Everyone seems to hate January, and I get that this is a first world problem, but I feel like this child will be much less likely to get a happy, jolly celebration as everyone will be skint/dieting/freezing.

Dc1 is summer born and always has a lovely celebration.

I’m hormonal and probably overthinking this somewhat.
But if you/your dc has a January birthday how is it for you?

OP posts:

PoutySprout · 29/12/2018 17:27

My birthday is 5 January and it's shit. Everyone is skint and / or doing dry Jan, I get tat from the sales or unwanted Christmas presents as gifts. Nobody wants to eat yet more cake

DH is the 2nd. Barely anybody even remembers it, and those that do are generally still hungover and don’t want to do anything.

Outwards · 29/12/2018 17:28

Yup, Mid Jan for me and no one ever wants to do anything and no presents because my Xmas ones were 'for birthday too'.

MillieMoodle · 29/12/2018 17:28

I looked forward to my mid-January birthday as a child - I had a bowling party or went swimming so it was always great.

As an adult everyone is miserable, dieting, not drinking and skint. It's usually forgotten about as no-one wants to celebrate. Mine's the third week of January and there's usually something on the news about how it's the most depressing day of the year as well.

greensnail · 29/12/2018 17:28

Mine is end of january and I love it. It's long enough after Christmas that people feel like going out again. You can go out for a meal etc and always get a table booked as generally restaurants are quiet. We also have 2 birthdays in the second half of december in our house and they are much more problematic.

Merrychristmasyoufilthyanimals · 29/12/2018 17:29

Mines 1st Jan....

Could. Not. Get. Worse.

No one wants to do anything because they are already at an NYE party or doesnt want to do anything on the 1st because they will be hungover.

WhatALearningCurve · 29/12/2018 17:31

My birthday is the end of January. Growing up it was great because the exam to get into my senior school was the 3rd Friday of January so I always had a 3 day weekend around my birthday. (Same school from 4 to 18 so this continued through). However - even without the 3 day weekend, I wasn't really old enough to be aware it was a rubbish time for a birthday. It just was when it was.

Then through uni it was great because everyone was reunited and had student loan so had cash to go out.

It's only became a bit of a let down since graduating and working full time. I tended to always do birthday stuff a week or so late so that people have been paid and by that time it no longer felt like my birthday.

However it comes full circle as friend and I are now at an age/position where although not flush with cash, we're not living totally payday to payday so in reality. It was only an issue for about 5 years of my life. Apart from that - never been a thing. Also my partners birthday is NYE and his mums is Christmas Eve and I don't think they have any major complaints.

Mamabearx4 · 29/12/2018 17:31

Mines the 17th, always a non event. Always an after thought and stuff that's left over from the sales. Not that I ask for presents, bit if your going to do it at least some thought. (Hubby gets nothing I buy it myself, HAPPY with that)
Only redeeming feature as it's more likely to snow on my birthday,. Has done in the past.

TheBitchOfTheVicar · 29/12/2018 17:31

End of Jan here. I like it.

Pros:

Something to look forward to in the slump
Can ask for the presents I didn't get at Christmas
I get more, as sales slash prices
People have got paid again and are back firmly in a routine of work etc, so up for a night out

Cons:
I can never do dry January! (Shame!)
I have to wait a long time until I get more presents - 11 months until Christmas
I can't think of any more cons!

dementedma · 29/12/2018 17:33

mine is the 14th and its shit. as others have said, people are skint, being super healthy, not drinking.
There are no presents you really want or ask for without seeming greedy so soon after Christmas and its all a total non-event. i hate it. We also have 4 birthdays with exactly a week between each:
Nephew 3 on the 7th
me on the 14th
Nephew 2 on the 21st
Ds on the 28th!

FuckingYuleLog · 29/12/2018 17:33

One of my children has an end of January birthday and has always loved it! No disappointment about Christmas being over because they go straight to looking forward to their birthday and no worries if they don’t get something they really wanted at Christmas (that they decided they really wanted on Christmas Eve) because they can ask for it for their birthday.
And it’s great for me as I get lots of sale bargains.
Dc has always had full class parties so far and every child bar 1 or 2 has always attended. I think people are happy to have something fun to do for their kids after the anti climax of Christmas being over and even if they’re skint most would have something to regift to take to a party so I don’t think it stops people attending.

JurassicGirl · 29/12/2018 17:35

My dd has a late Jan birthday & so far it's been great!

We've had parties at trampoline parks, soft play (when younger), cinema, build a bear, hall with bouncy castle. She's chosen a climbing wall this time (10th birthday).

She's one of the older ones in her class which she quite likes so that's a bonus of a winter birthday.

My ds's have summer birthdays & they are among the youngest in the year at school so that's a bit of a draw back. Birthday venues are often the same sort of thing as you can't count on the weather being good.

I have a December birthday & have always enjoyed it. No joint gifts & indoor parties (when younger) etc.

One thing we do though is give a single decent gift to her on her brothers birthdays. We do the same for them on hers/each others but I consciously get her something good as it's a long gap between occasions. I know some people hate this but we don't

FuckingYuleLog · 29/12/2018 17:36

That said I imagine it’s different for adults who want to go on an expensive night out drinking but that’s not how everyone wants to celebrate so I wouldn’t get ahead of yourself worrying about adult birthday celebrations that your child may not even be interested in.

CollapsedGingerbreadHouse · 29/12/2018 17:36

Mines coming up next week. It's a significant 0 ending birthday, which I'm not looking forward to anyway. I agree with pp, I get sale tat or regifted stuff for presents or joint presents. No-one wants to do anything, least of all me! Back to work, back on the diet, dry Jan, credit card bills, etc etc.

Early January birthdays suck!

WeCameToDance · 29/12/2018 17:36

I think it depends on when in January the birthday is. Ds has his birthday right at the end of January and that is ok. I can buy a lot for him in the sales so he can have bigger or a few more presents than if I was paying full price. People are ready for a celebration at that point as its a pretty bleak, unexciting month for the most part.
However dh birthday is Jan 3rd. Its awful. Everybody is skint so he has never had much in the way of presents or parties. Nobody wants to do anything as they are on a health kick or doing dry January. The weathers crap and everyone is down after all the festivities. Subsequently he hates his birthday.

thetemptationofchocolate · 29/12/2018 17:37

Happy birthday to you zebra

Mine is next week. I usually try to think of something I can book to do, later on in the year when the weather is better and there's more daylight. This year I am going to see a favourite band play so that will be my not-birthday treat :)

ZenaThor · 29/12/2018 17:37

Two of my three kids have January birthdays and the other is a week before Christmas so they all get a raw deal imo! The January 2 get separate presents but it’s like no one can be bothered so it’s just cash in a card-and when they were very small I didn’t want more toys and tat after Christmas so encouraged family to buy small or sensible! it kind of shortens January for me though as I am planning two birthdays 9 days apart

prettybird · 29/12/2018 17:39

Db's birthday is 1 January and our dad's birthday is 25 December.

Db gets by far the worst deal. My dad despite his complaints or maybe because of them gets more than double the presents , whereas db often misses out , because people think that they'll get him a present after Christmas and end up being skint Occasionally he does well out of it as people buy him good stuff in the sales.

PoutySprout · 29/12/2018 17:39

There’s absolutely bugger all on in our nearest city on 2nd January. Having to cobble together some sort of day for DH.

glitterelf · 29/12/2018 17:42

Mines the 25th and yes it was shit when I was younger as my mum was on her own and her pay day was always 3 days after my birthday. Now though it's fab I often get loads due to great sales and my husband pushes the boat out so I am lucky. My daughters birthday is the 10th Dec and that can be as hit and miss as mine where friends are concerned.

ProfYaffle · 29/12/2018 17:42

Mine's end of Jan and it's never been a problem. When I was a kid my parties were well attended. As an adult had a few cosy weekends away, bracing walks and open fires.

Am planning a BBQ for my birthday this year! We had one in the really hot summer and it was awful, no-one could bear to stand around it so I thought it might actually be quite nice when the weather's cold (will be actually eating indoors though)

Dd2's birthday is February and her birthdays have also been fine, plenty of indoors stuff to do. Home parties/soft play/bowling/cinema etc etc

starzig · 29/12/2018 17:43

Now I think about it, I never celebrate my birthday. Just don't see it as important. Maybe it stems from people not being very celebratory in january

KTCluck · 29/12/2018 17:43

It’s honestly never bothered me (11th). Tend to get bigger presents due to the sales, and I’ve never had a problem with getting people to celebrate with me.

Original poster

Exceptionallyeccentric · 29/12/2018 17:44

Sacha that cake thing is awful who would try and fobb off a child with a Christmas cake as a birthday cake!

I can’t imagine many children liking a boozy tasting fruit cake!

I will always ensure he has a proper birthday cake.
Points taken about early January being worse. Unless I go early it should be late January.

OP posts:

MrsFoxPlus4 · 29/12/2018 17:45

My son is 7 in January. He’s asked to go out for dinner so that’s what we are doing he’ll still get cake & a couple of other bits but that’s how we celebrate

elephantoverthehill · 29/12/2018 17:48

zebrarobot. Happy Birthday

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