Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To do up DD's room as a birthday "present"

51 replies

redskyatnight · 02/02/2010 17:17

DD's 4th birthday is coming up. There is nothing she desperately wants and we are still swimming in Christmas presents.

So I have come up with the idea that as a birthday present we will paint her room (currently creams and browns from when we decorated pre-DC) a suitable girly pink, and accessorise with new curtains, duvet cover, lamp shade, rug, bean bag, wall decorations etc etc.

DH thinks this is mean because

  1. he thinks a little girl should get toys for a present
  2. we were planning to do her room later this year anyway.

I think that

  1. DD will love her new room
  2. She will get loads of toys from family/friends
  3. There is nothing (toy wise) that she specially wants and don't see the point of buying stuff for the sake of it
  4. If we promise to do her bedroom for her birthday it will actually get done (DH and I very good at putting off decorating jobs)
  5. If we just did her room in the normal run of things she would probably get new curtains and maybe the odd other thing or too, but we wouldn't go as wholesale on all the accessories as I'm planning to (so she would get them over time rather than all at once).

So, no pressure but DD's birthday hangs in the balance here.

AIBU to think that a new girly room is a lovely present for a 4 year old?

OP posts:
heQet · 02/02/2010 17:19

I think that's nice.

She'll get presents from other people and maybe you could get her a token to unwrap?

But I am sure she'll love her room.

pigletmania · 02/02/2010 17:20

YANBU sounds lovely, mabey let her choose a theme she likes.

hmmSleep · 02/02/2010 17:22

YANBU

Unless I am too, planning on doing exact same thing for my dd's 4th birthday this month

I'm hoping she'll love it!

paisleyleaf · 02/02/2010 17:22

I think it's a fine idea and she'd love it (but then my DD got a bed for her 2nd birthday).
I'd think about how you're going to go about it though - it wouldn't be very nice for her to hear you cursing about stuff to do with it (again, I'm thinking of how DIY jobs in our house often involve cursing and tattiness).

gingernutlover · 02/02/2010 17:23

i think its nice, you should do the decoration and then wrap up the accessories for the actual day, make sure you put in some hair clips, hair brush, maybe a little mirror on a stand or soemthing. My DD would absolutely love this.

new duvet cover, curtains etc etc I am guessing?

sounds great to me

SleepingLion · 02/02/2010 17:24

Can you have a special 'unveiling' on her birthday, like unwrapping a birthday present? Put fairy lights up and so on so that the opening of the door is a real moment, and all the lovely new accessories are a real surprise.

I'm explaining it really badly - hope you get what I mean!

SleepingLion · 02/02/2010 17:25

Maybe a lovely rag doll or a hot water bottle for her bed too - that could be wrapped up as a pressie.

generalunrest · 02/02/2010 17:34

Going against the tide here, but I don't think that Christmas being not long ago is a reason not to give your DD any birthday prestents.

You do childrens rooms up as part of general house maintenence not as a present to them IMO.

She's four now and is just starting to understand what birthdays are, why would you want to do her out of one? The excitement of birthdays don't last long, I'm not sure why you don't want to make the most of them. I'ts about unwrapping presents, not getting your room done.

flaime · 02/02/2010 17:38

I think it's a lovely idea, but would wrap the accessories for her to open on the day along with a non bedroom pressie or two. That way she gets to upwrap them and choose where daddy gets to put them

My mum did this for my 7th birthday and I loved it.

bubblagirl · 02/02/2010 17:50

i think its great and you can wrap up a princess night light and fleece blanket or another girly style she will feel really grown up and will have plenty of presents anyway as you say but i would still get something if you make it for her room maybe pink cd player they are cheap in sainsbury and some girly cd's could be bought from charity shop

LittleWhiteWolf · 02/02/2010 17:55

I dont think doing up her room is in absence of a present. We lived in rented houses for years so I never got to have a nicely decorated room until I was 20. The thrill I got making my room how I wanted was amazing and I think a 4 year old would love it.

I do think a small thing to unwrap would also be nice and if you can do it while she's out of the house so its a big reveal would make a lovely touch.

clayre · 02/02/2010 17:57

my mum and sister are doing up my dd's room for her birthday, we've been here for 3 years and her room hasnt been touched, shes really really exited!

generalunrest · 02/02/2010 17:58

I'm just imagining her little face, 4 YO little girl, wondering...wow...what's in this lovely wrapped up present, is it a barbie? is it the board game I really would like? No, it's a cushion to go on my bed

No, we're not supposed to expect anything for our birthdays, but she's only 4 bless her.

CirrhosisByTheSea · 02/02/2010 17:59

I think it's an amazing present! As you say, she will get presents to open from other people. I think she's extremely lucky to have her whole room done for her birthday

Tamarto · 02/02/2010 18:01

general - My DD picked a cusion for her bed as a present when she was 4, wouldn't be pursuaded either.

janeite · 02/02/2010 18:04

I think it's a brilliant idea. And the sooner children learn that birthdays aren't ALL about opening loads of 'stuff' the better, so I totally disagree with general unrest.

DD1 is 15 next week. She is having a rug and some fairy lights for her room and, if she's very lucky, a picture!

PureAsTheColdDrivenSnow · 02/02/2010 18:08

sounds great to me - maybe get her something like a nice light/rug/cushion/stuffed toy or something for her room that she'll love?

generalunrest · 02/02/2010 18:12

A 15 YO and a 4 YO are very different. I agree that birthdays shouldn't be all about opening loads of stuff, but as she's only 4, it is, and I recon it's a bit miserable to suggest otherwise. She's got plenty of non-birthay time to learn life's a disappointment.

LouMacca · 02/02/2010 18:14

YANBU. We did this for our 7 year old DD who also has a birthday straight after Christmas! She is thrilled to bits with her new room.

posieparker · 02/02/2010 18:14

Sounds ggod to me...

Perhaps she could unwrap a girly clock

and these are fabulous.

woowa · 02/02/2010 18:14

YANBU. A wonderful idea!

PorphyrophillicPixie · 02/02/2010 18:15

Brilliant idea, when I was ten I got a room makeover for my birthday. Came back from brownie camp over May Bank Holiday weekend (birthday is always week before) and BAM, green/yellow/pink bedroom. Loved it!

MaureenMLove · 02/02/2010 18:18

We did this for DD about 3 years ago. Chucked her out of her room and banned her from seeing it.

We asked family and friends to buy bedroom related presents, like a new quit set, a mirror, a rug, girlie photoframes etc.

On the day of her birthday, I taped up the door with a black sack and wrapped up a plastic knife for her. She slit through the plastic bag and stepped into her new bedroom!

Her face was a picture!

mjinhiding · 02/02/2010 18:21

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

BuckBuckMcFate · 02/02/2010 18:21

Fab idea.

I did it for DD for her 4th birthday.

Family all got involved and bought her stuff to go along with the 'princess' theme she chose herself

She loves it!

Tamarto, what is it with 4 year olds and cushions? DD adores hers, (think nasty disney pink) and it often has pride of place on my sofa

Swipe left for the next trending thread