To ask what you are doing to make birthdays special…

[HappySonHappyMum]

during lockdown? Would like some ideas for teens and adults please.

Mine is at the end of April when I think we will still be on lockdown so assuming they’re still open I’m planning a take away and champagne and cake assuming they’re still in the shops. I’m not bothered about presents although an iou will probably be what I get. I would normally go out for the day on my birthday but I’ll probably find a film I really want to watch on sky and we watch that as a family plus use some of my nice bath products that I save for best.

Mine is during this three week current lockdown and I’m going to have a group video chat with all my family, a glass of wine and DH will bake a cake if we have any flour left. I like birthdays and this will be one to remember...

I’m going to be home alone. Dh is working (emergency services) and I’m also at work til 2pm. Painful. I might get a takeout.

My DD is locked down on her own 100+ miles away. We'll send a card but have told her we'll treat her like royalty and she can have an official birthday later in the year.
We postponed Mother's day for the same reason.

Mine is tomorrow and we’ll be having a fancy takeaway and champagne. My family have all posted cards and sent ordered presents to be delivered directly to me. DP also tells me he has a surprise but as he’s not been anywhere without me the last 2 weeks I’m sceptical

My birthday was on Saturday. Unfortunately it also coincided with being 5 days postpartum so I spent the whole day quite tearful, whereas usually I dont think I would have been so fussed!

We did a few little bits to make it special for my 3 year old like making a cake, but I'm planning to celebrate my birthday "properly" later in the year - maybe in September when it will be my "half birthday". For adults I dont think it's too bad.

For a teenager, do you have contact with any of their friends? Maybe you could put together a special video with messages from friends and family, vouchers for treats later in the year, try your hardest to get hold of the ingredients for whatever their favourite meal is - or get a takeaway if they are still running in your area.

My daughter is turning 15 soon. We are planning to fill downstairs with balloons (have loads in a box in garage luckily) and make posters/banners to decorate everywhere.

She is choosing a 3 course meal for dinner and I'm printing it out like a restaurant menu. We are all dressing up for the meal and will have candles and champagne. We are then 'going to the cinema' in the living room and will have popcorn and watch a film of her choosing. She is going to have a house party catch up with her friends online. Will do a cake and just generally make a big fuss of her.

Rotten time for kids to have birthdays but she can do something fun with her friends when this is over. My birthday will also be during lockdown but personally don't see adult birthdays as a big deal so not bothered.

I'll be WFH, I'm having some of my favourite foods/meals. Will video call friends & family.
Once lockdown is over, I'll have another birthday - hopefully get a few of us together and go for a meal together.

Have got two birthdays - mine and my daughters - just wanted some ideas to make the day a bit different than usual and break the monotony! I like the idea of a menu and a proper movie night with popcorn. Am hoping for a barbecue as one is at the end of April and we might have a bit of warmth by then!

@FourFlapjacksPlease I love your idea of a restaurant style meal and will definitely pinch that, my ds will be turning 14 in 3 weeks so we have already had a conversation about how we expect to be on lockdown so he can choose what’s for tea that night and a cake. He had originally asked for a phone but we told him money might be tight so to make a list of cheaper things he likes and he can have the phone once we are back to normal but we have managed to buy the phone anyway which will be a nice surprise

We've missed my Mum's 83rd birthday (last week) and mine is the end of April. I'll be teaching lessons from home and then hopefully in the evening I will have some cake and nice food.

Will celebrate properly with my mum once lockdown etc ends. Maybe in the summer.

Our street all came out to sing happy birthday from their doorsteps - was lovely. Lots of video calls, cake, games, break all the rules eg we had ice cream for breakfast. Made it memorable for some good reasons too! To be honest it was a lovely day. Felt a bit like Xmas.

It's DD1's next week and it was DD2's last week. Thankfully DD2 had had a party early to fit around other stuff so that had gone ahead already and we just did a little cake and a bit of a fuss over her. DD1's is going to suck a bit - but we'll find something cake related and she's busy planning a day out when places reopen (which will probably cost me a blooming fortune).

Mine is on Friday. I'm making a big chocolate cake on Thursday for us to enjoy on the day. We will probably get a takeaway in the evening, watch something funny with the older kids and maybe play a board game or two. I'm hoping I don't end up spending the whole day chivvying them along with the school work which has been set (as has been the case so far...)

DD1 is 11 on Saturday. Her party and a family holiday have obviously been cancelled so trying to think of things to make it nice! We are going to make her presents into a treasure hunt and hide them round the house. Have printed off photos of her to write the clues on. Will decorate the living room with balloons and stuff. Going to invite her friends for a surprise zoom party and then have a homemade afternoon tea. In the eve I think we will have a campfire in the garden if it’s not raining and drink hot chocolate, and play a new dancing game for the PlayStation.

We have just had a 13th birthday. It was fab! Zoom call with school friends, FaceTime with family members, balloons and candles from what we had in the cupboard, homemade cake and cards. We dressed up smartly for champagne and favourite dinner, movie on Disney+. All in all, a lovely day. DD enjoyed the quirkiness of it!

My dad has a big birthday next week and he's alone. I've ordered fancy food from a very fancy shop for him. Fingers crossed it all arrives.

Dh and I have birthdays next month...mine is a very big one. We shall cook lovely food, chill lots of Chablis and dress up. Small gifts but will go away when all this ends.

Dd2 is 8 on the 6th. We’ve had to cancel our plans - trampoline park and a McDonald’s. Luckily I had already bought balloons and banners so those will be put up for her, she is going to make her own cake with sprinkles on with DH so I bought lots of cake toppers and candles. And dominos is still delivering so she has asked for pizza.

The new Trolls movie is also being launched on Sky, it was due to be released in cinemas but that obviously can’t happen and so we have said we will rent that for her and have some popcorn.

We’ll FaceTime family and her best friend, it should be a fab day for her.

My dh is 50 in the middle of April, terrible time for a big birthday. We were going to be going away overnight but obviously that's cancelled now.

He's a doctor so not even sure atm if he'll be off depending on how busy work is at that point.

I like the idea of a proper fancy meal, and some fizz. Sadly Dd1 is living elsewhere so won't be able to come for his birthday which is a real shame. We'll have a proper celebration with wider family once all this is over.

It's my birthday this week and I should be on holiday. To make up for it we (dh and 2 x adult dd) will be dressing up, having a fancy home made meal, fizz/cocktails and perhaps some dancing.

We all cried.

I mean - there were other plans .

But that was the memorable part of the day.

My DS had a teen birthday this weekend. We’d ordered some balloons and presents online, then warned him it would be ‘his worst birthday ever’! He seemed to like the bragging rights of that. He had Skype and phone calls from other family members and we played a game of his choice. The supermarket we’re selling birthday cakes and DD baked some highly personalised biscuits. He even missed out on an hour of his birthday as the clocks went forward. No doubt he’ll be bringing up how bad it was for years to come, but it’s something to talk about. Do try and keep it about the simple things.

Some great ideas here.
Both my DC have birthdays in April. They wanted to do an escape room with their friends so I'm going to try and create one at home, although they obviously won't be able to leave at the end!