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Christmas

From present ideas to party food, find all your Christmas inspiration here.

Original poster

Kids with birthdays really close to Christmas day! WDYD

43 replies

pipkin35 · 23/11/2010 16:02

DS will be 3 on 20th December.

What do you all do if you have kids with birthdays really close to Xmas, and they're still quite little...?!

How do you avoid the over excitement of constant presents etc...for 5-6 days in a row but then nothing for the rest of the year?!

As in, do you give main present for birthday or Xmas?

Do you have a party?! Most people/friends can't attend so close to Christmas because they're going away etc...

Any ideas or hearing others experiences would be great. I find it very useful...
Thanks

OP posts:
KatieScarlett2833 · 23/11/2010 16:06

I treat it as if his birthday were in July. As much fuss, presents, party. Having a near Christmas birthday myself I know how awful it is to have your birthday down-sized due to the time of year.

Indith · 23/11/2010 16:08

Mine are about to turn 4 and 2 (jan 11th and dec 23rd). I think at this age it is pretty easy but I anticipate it being more difficult when they go to school and are more aware that other people have things spread out. I will be making sure that they get a party that is their day and am encouraging the grandparents to keep Christmas presents small and to give their main present for their birthday so that the birthday is a special day for them and Christmas is about family time. Not that the grandparents are listening yet!

Bramshott · 23/11/2010 16:09

My Goddaughter has her birthday on Christmas Eve and is already telling everyone in no uncertain terms that "this is MY special day"! She certainly gets a big present for birthday, and then another for Christmas. I think her parents have had a party for nursery friends the weekend before.

taintedpaint · 23/11/2010 16:11

We've got a Christmas Eve birthday in the family. The worst thing you can do is give joint presents. It's so insulting and leaves the impression that the birthday is not worth celebrating. This is probably more relevant with an older child, but still.

Rockbird · 23/11/2010 16:12

DD will be 3 in early January so not as close as yours but close enough. I don't know how she'll take it really. She is very excited about her birthday, more than Christmas actually. Two cousins have just had birthdays and so she's very into cakes and candles and singing happy birthday.

At the moment the only party we do is very close rellies round for tea and cake.

Original poster
pipkin35 · 23/11/2010 16:13

Good ideas.
Katiescarlett - I like this idea and was intending to have a 'Conception Day' myself, but how old is your DC? Do they 'get' that it's not 'really' their b-day in July, or what?! What do you call it?! I can easily see doing that when he's older, and it will be easier to explain (Special Summer Day etc..)but for now....?

Indith - easier in a way that your 2 have a b-day quite close - ish. My DD is in April though, so is OH, and I'm summer - so although your idea makes sense as years go on, explaining to him why his sis still gets a 'main' pressie at Xmas will be tough....like the idea of making Xmas more of a 'family time' though, rather than an all out pressie fest. Can work that one.

OP posts:
mjinhiding · 23/11/2010 16:16

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Rockbird · 23/11/2010 16:17

I do that actually, let her open everything and then swiftly spirit some of them away. She's only just been given all the Happyland stuff she got for her birthday in January. I'm a mean mummy :)

mjinhiding · 23/11/2010 16:20

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tkband3 · 23/11/2010 16:21

My birthday is 23rd December. When I was about 5 my mum got totally fed up with being sent cheques by all the relatives, to buy presents for me for Christmas and birthday, when there were things I needed in the summer which she couldn't always afford to get me.

So she decided I would have another birthday (on her birthday in August (which I've only recently realised is all a part of her wanting to be the centre of attention herself, but that's a whole other topic Wink Grin), when I got big presents from family. On my real birthday in December, I would receive small token presents, cards and when I was younger, have a party (normally the weekend before Christmas).

This worked really well - I felt my birthday was still special, but didn't have to wait all year for presents! The system ended when I was 18, and therefore considered old enough to deal with having a birthday close to Christmas Smile.

Joint presents are not great - but it is quite handy if you want something big, to be able to link birthday and Christmas. What I really hate is joint cards - or when someone just writes 'oh and happy birthday too' in a Christmas card...Angry.

I'm old enough now to want to forget my birthday anyway Grin.

Jareth · 23/11/2010 16:24

Not sure Katie meant to have a half birthday in July, I think she meant that you treat the birthday with as much enthusiasm as you would if his Birthday was in July..

The biggest no no for me is no joint presents (until they're older and can ask for them anyway), and no scrimping on the Christmas presents just because they got a lot for their birthday. and definitely NO wrapping of presents in christmas wrapping paper. :)

gillybean2 · 23/11/2010 16:33

My ds's birthday is January.
I agree with absolutely no 'joint presents', no 'cash' to get what they want, and no xmas paper on birthday gifts.

Make the day as special as you would if it were not so close to Christmas. Like Katie said treat the day as if it was in July (you don't have to move it to do this)

Birthday parties can easily be stretched to the weekend before birthday. At least you'll get the replies back, unlike us who often don't get any reply at all until kids go back to school which leaves very little time to organise with correct numbers.

I do know one person who's dd's birthday was before Christmas. Made it very hard for her to get xmas shopping done as she didn't know until after birthday what dd had been given so not to duplicate. DOn't envy you that one.

amothersplaceisinthewrong · 23/11/2010 16:37

My two have theirs either side of Xmas. Always kept them separate, never any joint presents. And with careful planning managed the parties.

ProfessorLaytonIsMyLoveSlave · 23/11/2010 16:41

My godson's birthday is 23 December. No joint presents, no birthday presents in Christmas wrapping paper, Christmas decorations don't go up until the 24th, and they make as big a fuss about his birthday as his brothers' which are in the summer.

boogeek · 23/11/2010 16:44

My DD3 will be 1 on the 20th; so far the only thing I have come up with is not putting up the decs until after her bithday :) We are used to winter birthdays in this family anyway though - DD2 is mid-November, DH and I are both January and D-grandma (mine)'s birthday is Christmas Day itself!

TheMoreItSnows · 23/11/2010 16:45

DD1 is Boxing Day, we choose to celebrate her birthday 6 months later on the 26th June. Therefore we get summer parties, no 'joint presents' and no birthday lethargy straight after Christmas. We check frequently that she is happy with this arrangment!

jimblejambles · 23/11/2010 17:01

Ds1 is 27th December. We have his birthday party with school friends the week before they break up from school. We take the christmas tree down on Boxing day so it's not christmasy on his birthday.
He gets a big present for each.

pissedrightoff · 23/11/2010 17:57

Tell all the family...

No cards saying 'On your December Birthday, Happy Birthday and Merry Christmas'

No joint birthday and christmas presents wrapped in christmas paper.

BikeRunSki · 23/11/2010 18:08

Mum and her DB1 birthdays are at start of january. DGM celebrated them, along with DB2 on the same day in March (DB2 birthdya actually is in March).

Mum was 8 when she discovered that she was actually 2 months older than she though!

SatinShoes · 23/11/2010 18:17

Seperate occasions call for seperate celebrations.
No joint presents.
No joint cards.
Party at a time convenient to as many as possible.

aDarkStarWithStrangeWays · 23/11/2010 18:22

SIL's birthday is on Christmas Day. Her family have always done Christmas up until 4pm, and then it's SIL's birthday. This suits me fine as there is always a fresh round of bubbly Grin

TotorosOcarina · 23/11/2010 18:24

My kids birthdays are Dec 13th and Xmas eve.

DD is only 2 this year (xmas eve) and so we are moving her birthday to the 23rd as it was a bit much last year!

we hype it up just the same as DS2s June birthday!

TotorosOcarina · 23/11/2010 18:25

oh and then we have MILS birthday boxing day!

Hulababy · 23/11/2010 18:27

DD has a friend who has a Christmas day birthday. AFAIK her close family celebrate her birthday at the time, but she actually celerates properly with a party and all her friends on or around the 25th June - her half birthday. They find logistically a Christmas Day birthday is too hard to fit parties etc in.

My nana's birthday is the 23rd and we always celebrate on the actual day - family gatehring at hr house, presents, cards, etc. lso good time for doing family Christmas present exchanges too in time for the 25th.

stropicana · 23/11/2010 18:28

DD1's b'day is 2 weeks before christmas. Christmas on hold until after her big day. She never has joint preasants, always has a party etc. Smile