To feel a bit sorry for dd

[Soubriquet]

Yes it’s a first world fucking problem and I’m sure someone will be here calling me out cos people are dying but..

She’s 7 tomorrow. She was looking forward to going to school and spending the day with her friends. Handing out sweets, seeing her Nan and getting presents, cards and cake.

She can’t go to school, she can’t see her friends, we have some presents in but not as much as we were planning. We have no cake, no cards and obviously she can’t see her nanny.

I have explained to her that we are doubtful what we can and we will make up for it when we can, but it’s still hard for a 7 year old to take.

Why tell her about the dancing? I don't get that.

If you spent every last penny on 2 weeks worth of shopping then surely you can muster something up? Jelly cake? Trifle?

Moon pig card with her picture on

It sounds like you're determined to be glum and put a downer on the day. Your daughter's birthday will be what you make it. Try to put on an enthusiastic smile and make the most of it.

You don’t sound very resourceful or resilient. This is going to go on for ages, being a doom meister at this stage of the game isn’t going to help you or your dd get through it.

No. We will make it what we can

And we had to tell her about the dancing.

She was doing 4 classes a week, 2 of which we couldn’t take her to as no one else could drive her there.

The 2 she could have done, have now been moved to weeknight as she moved up and again no one can take her as we work at that time.

So therefore she can no longer do the classes.

We have managed to compromise though and we are now going to take her to gymnastics, which runs on a weekend, once the lockdown lifts

Have you thought about a zoom
Virtual party ? We are trying to think how many children we could get to log in on devices ..

Im sure you can scrape together a few quid for ingredients, all you need is 175g of self raising flower
175 butter
175 sugar
3 eggs
Dash of milk
Bit of baking powder only if u have it
Melt some choc or icing sugar or sugar and lemon for lemon drizzle

This stuff is litrally a few quid if not get messaging friends and family maybe they could drop some stuff off on your doorstep if on there allotted exercise time.

Great suggestions on here about Xmas lights. Look for old banners. Look for old cards maybe u could get creative and make banners out of that.

When she comes down make sure you have some structure to her birthday as normal. In the morning make her favourite brekkie then have the garden set up nicely with her outdoor toys. Go for a nice bike ride together or out with a scooter. Then get blankets down in the living room for a teddy bears picnic and party games. Maybe you could do her nails and use some old makeup to paint her face and have a pamper session with old face masks.

Kids are pretty easy to please if you play with her toys with her and make a fuss of her that's all that matters. She deffo needs a cake and a card though so get creative or ask for some help. Once you have those things the rest of the day will look up. And tell her when this is all done with maybe she can have a treat going cinema with friends or having the day at a soft play or zoo or whatever.

What have you got missing from cake ingredients?
There are egg free, dairy free etc recipes around.

Do you have any balloons?
Do you have ingredients to make her an exciting breakfast like pancakes?

Play a Lionel Richies happy birthday song for her from YouTube and dance around with her.
preset her with lovely breakfast, video call her nan, family and friends.
Have a little birthday tea party.
Have a birthday movie night.

Have you got any craft bits in? You could make a cardboard cake, poke holes in the top with a pencil and put birthday candles on top? If you’ve got any sweets, biscuits etc in you could put those inside?

Whereabouts are you OP? I'm in Swansea - I have to go and pick up my parents prescriptions this pm. Will collect a cake for you?

Likewise, if you’re south London I might be able to help re cake

One of those things

YANBU to 'feel a bit sorry' for her. Thank you for not saying you feel the following:
Heartbroken
Devastated
Bereft
Beside yourself.

30% of people think YABU to feel sorry for your dd? Wtaf?

My ds had his birthday yesterday and it was shit and I feel sorry for him, and sorry for anyone so deluded that they think it's BU to have empathy for your kids. Of course there are more important things but ffs, we are still allowed to be upset about the smaller things. We aren't a bunch of sodding robots.

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/_chat/3860594-Birthday-ideas-for-8-year-old-boy-during-coronovirus

Maybe the 30% might be thinking YABU for not planning the whole cake thing a bit better.

It's my child's birthday on Friday. I'm not going out and have little supplies in (luckily his presents! But no wrapping paper!)

My "make do and mend" birthday plans include:

Using Christmas wrapping paper
Making a pass the parcel
Lots of vintage party games
Party tea - homemade pizza, sandwiches, biscuits & crisps
Homemade cake (I've been guarding the eggs from my husband! Lol)
Garden games
Treasure hunt

Pancakes for breakfast

It will be very different from the party I had booked and probably a little bit babyish but he'll enjoy the change of activities and all the fuss. We will make it fun!

You can make it fun if you try.

If you have biscuits (simple ones, like rich tea) milk, butter or spread and some chocolate or cocoa powder you can make a cake very easily and kuds love it too

Hi op,
Does she like be read to? If you go to a website called Faded Page you can download The Enchanted Wood by Enid Blyton free of charge. It has a lovely chapter or two on birthdays and she’s just the right age to be charmed by it.

I'm sorry

A friend of mine has a birthday tradition with her kids of making a stack of pancakes, one for every year they are, with a candle or whatever they like on pancakes. Might that work from your storecupboard supplies?

We're on bloody lockdown. You didn't have to tell her about the dancing now just around her bday.

It is rubbish op. My year 6er is sad about missing last year of primary and all that goes with that.

There's a Facebook group called Rock the lockdown. Join that and get people from all over the world to wish her happy birthday

www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2020/03/23/coronavirus-crisis-give-your-kids-strength-resilience-column/2895922001/

Your dc will remember this time based on your response
They feed on how you respond
Be resilient
Make this a weird but wonderful birthday with a giant cake made of cushions for her to wake up to
Do something wacky
Smile

You can make a cake for £2 op. There’s no need to turn this negative. Her birthday may not be what you planned, it can still be fun though. It my daughters birthday next week. We only managed to get one present in but I’ve planned an amazing day for her. We usually go to family festivals every year but they’ve all been cancelled. So we’re doing a festival in the garden. I’ve made a card and baking a cake. I’ve had a look on Pinterest and got loads of ideas of decorations and bunting to make for the garden. I’m dragging the stereo out for music, we’re having a bbq and we’ll spend the day out in the sun playing games. I’m actually really looking forward to it.

YANBU but you are being defeatist! Have an alternative cake and try and make it as special as possible.