Childminders Club: Mindees Birthday - do a little party? Present??

[HellyBelly]

One of my mindees birthday is coming up. Mum confirmed he will be with me that day so I thought I'd do a little birthday party for the toddlers with balloons, music, games, cake etc. I was going to see what the mum thought of this. For those who have done something similar, do the parents seem to mind? Would it look like I'm taking over or something?? I suppose some parents would like the idea and others would feel that they'd want to do it (although I know my mindees mum has nothing planned - she's very busy at the moment!). I'm sure she'd be ok with this, we get on well and she even got me flowers yesterday, I just don't want to look like I'm taking over!

Also, I'm going to get him a present - do I give it him during the party (if we have one) or do I give it to his mum to take back with them and open at home?

When a mindie or one of my children's birthday fall during the week I usually mark it with a birthday cake & candles, giving a piece of the cake to mum/dad to take home with them. I don't do a full blown party as I think that is up to the parents to organise. This way all the children get to mark the child's birthday. Present wise I always give them a present either when they arrive in the morining if there is enough time for mum/dad to stop quickly or at the end of the day when collected. I won't do it without a parent being present & they caqn then decide when to open it. Just be careful if the child is a Jehovah's Witness as they don't celebrate birthdays!

Thanks for that, it's what I was worried about!! I'll do the cake thing and leave it at that. Do you think it would be ok to blow a few balloons to bounce around the room? We always do dancing to music and stuff so this would be just an extra thing as kids that age love playing with balloons.

As for the present, I'll give it when she collects him that afternoon.

Thanks for your honest comments, that's just what I needed!

I always do a lunch party for any mindees birthday. I invite other minder friends and their mindees too. We have games and cake and dancing. IMO the parents love this and so do the children. We always did the cake and a special tea for children when i managed a nursery too.

Well that's what I thought but I was worried about what the mum would think. I think I'll run in by her to see if she would like it or not! She used to be a childminder herself and understands about difficult decisions and trying to please the parents!

Thanks

She might provide a cake?

Mine is for her DD's birthday next week

I wouldn't go fullblown party, just call it a party tea/lunch and have some fun

I agree about the present BTW

Cheers Katymac, he'll only be 2 and the other two are 2½ so just thought of having lunch with little hats and a cake after and having fun with a few balloons.

Shouldn't have really called it a party, it was more of a lunch thing I was thinking with cake. The music/games would just be like a usual day anyway.

I agree about the present too and will give it to mum when she collects him.

Thanks

As a parent, I've always provided party food, drink, birthday cake etc for days when ds's birthday falls on a day when he is at the childminders or for an alternative day if he is not there on his birthday. It may be worth just asking the mum if she had any plans for the big day.

As I mentioned earlier, she's got no plans for this birthday as she's got loads of stuff going on at the moment. She just hasn't got any time to sort anything and she didn't seem too bothered about this birthday, think she might next year when he understands more.

Will ask her what she would like me to do.