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
Christmas

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

Original poster

Does your DC have a birthday within 2 weeks of christmas?

74 replies

MrsJamin · 12/10/2008 09:48

DS was born just after New Year this year, so his birthday is just after Christmas. I can imagine this might be an issue for years to come (know a few people as adults who still have issues with it!) so would like to gather tips on how to handle it! So:

  • do you get or encourage others to get just one present between birthday and christmas?
  • do you wait until the sales to get DC's birthday present if after christmas?
  • do you do another celebration at another time in the year as it's just too close to christmas?

Any tips from mums already been-there-done-that, please!

OP posts:
umberella · 12/10/2008 12:28

my dd is 9 dec, i did my best to squeeze her out in late nov, but it wasn't happening! she will be 1 this year.

we'll celebrate both - my sis is 5 jan and so have seen the fallout from not doing it seperately!!

fullmoonfiend · 12/10/2008 12:29

we even try and keep xmas cards out of the way until after ds's birthday. No one has ever dared to give him a joint present....
My mother used to get ''Happy bchrsitmas and birthday' cards
Luckily, she has trained all the relatives and he even gets proper birthday paper rather than anything with holly etc on!

LynetteScavo · 12/10/2008 12:31

DS is 2nd of January.

Seperate presents for Christmas and birthday, form everyone - but some family do tend to give him money for his birthday, as we run out of ideas of what he might like. Last year he complained he didn't like this, as he wanted to "open stuff" on his birthday.

Last year I bougth his present in the sales (he didn't decide what he wanted until after Chirstmas. - I could only get it on line and while I got a bargain, it didn't arive untill acouple of days after his b'dy.

A he's off school it's easy to have a party.

I am probably a bit more indugent if he want a special toy in the summer, as it's so long to wait for chirstmas/birthday, for example I bought him a new skatebaord this summer, which I would probably have been a birthday present otherewise.

Be organised! I have been known to leave my Chistmas shopping to the last minute, but I always have his party aranged (including party bags packed) by the end of October.

solo · 12/10/2008 12:32

Dd's is Boxing Day. She will be 2 next birthday. Last year her birthday was a completely uneventful day really. Don't know how to deal with it really, so will be re reading this thread later to get tips.

lucykate · 12/10/2008 12:33

dd's birthday is beginning of jan, we make sure all the decorations are down to help separate the two as dh's birthday is christmas eve, bad enough having one birthday in the house so close to christmas. we tend to steer away from joint christmas/birthday gifts but do wait until after christmas before getting dd's birthday presents to avoid duplicating and so we can fill in any gaps

darkpunk · 12/10/2008 12:37

ds2 is boxing day.. never really got used to it..no matter how hard we try to make his birthday special..it's hard.

amanda12 · 12/10/2008 12:50

Ds3 is just before christmas. We don't do anything christmas related till after his birthday and he always has seperate pressies.

norksinmywaistband · 12/10/2008 12:55

DD has birthday in early jan.
Seperate presents for birthday and Xmas
I do buy her presents in the sales
We do a party, but send out invites prior to Xmas school break
In laws and My parents give money as a present for her birthday - Which she uses to buy herself stuff in the summer. This year it was a joint climbing frame with her brother( at the moment I can direct this money for her, this year they are going to get a trampoline in the garden)

solo · 12/10/2008 12:58

I find it sad for my Dd that everyone is busy on her birthday and therefore if we threw a party for her, no one would turn up anyway. I did think about doing a different day birthday party for her, but it doesn't feel right. Ds's birthday also falls during Summer hols, so maybe I'm just getting off lightly?!

eandh · 12/10/2008 13:01

dd2 was born on 5th jan (although tried to make an appearance a few days before xmas!!)

do you get or encourage others to get just one present between birthday and christmas?

no she has seperate presents for xmas and birthday and my family were great this year (was her 1st bday) and getting some bits for her bday before the sales started

  • do you wait until the sales to get DC's birthday present if after christmas?
Whoops sort of answered that but dd2 was only 1 this year so we only got a few small bits, however, in future years I'll probably get her main present b4 xmas especially if its something she really wants (would hate to try and get it and it be sold out from xmas)
  • do you do another celebration at another time in the year as it's just too close to christmas?
No she had a party on her birthday (well had 4 friends round for lunch but dd1 kindly gave dd2 chicken pox for her 1st birthday so she wasnt in the celebrating mood) This coming January she'll have a birthday tea on the sunday (birthday on a monday)
hannahsaunt · 12/10/2008 13:16

Ds2 is 5 Jan as well. Absolutely separate presents for the two events. I buy in advance of Christmas so that there is no last minute rush or stress at things not being available in sales. I do get at the smattering of relatives who buy him a toy for Christmas and whatever they can lay their hands on in the Next sale for his birthday - the lack of thought really shows and as he gets older he wonders why the other dcs get toys for both and he gets a pile of clothes! You do have to be v v organised though; party invitations need to be out before Christmas (that said, his birthday is the first day back of the school term so invites will go out then for the following weekend).

myalias · 12/10/2008 13:18

My Ds has a Christmas Day b'day - he will be 8 this year. When he was baby he used to get money from grandparents, uncles etc. I put it in his own savings fund. When it's summer holidays he can choose a special toy and we get it out of his savings fund. He gets to choose a special day out.
I try and give him his b'day present a few days before Christmas and on Christmas Eve he opens his cards and we have birthday cake.
Now he is older he gets seperate b'day and Christmas presents and if there is any money gifts he spends some and any left goes into his savings.

bonkerz · 12/10/2008 13:22

dds birthday is on 19th dec and we have a party at home on her birthday for her, its a good oppotunity to get all family round, swap xmas pressies and also celebrate dds birthday. No joint presents. we also only put up tree before birthdaay and then all other decs go up after her party!

TheProvincialLady · 12/10/2008 13:25

DC2 is due on 22nd December so he will have a birthday close to Christmas. Not sure what we will do yet, but we won't be worrying about it for a couple of years anyway.

swedishmum · 12/10/2008 16:30

Dd1 is just before Christmas, dd3 just after the new year. We used to put up decorations after dd1's birthday but she likes them up before. We find a separate place for her birthday cards. She always has a separate party and presents - makes sure she invites friends early. She's 15 this year and will be doing cinema/sleepover. One problem was finding birthday paper/party cups etc - buy paper early as the shops are full of Christmas stuff later on!

notsoteenagemum · 12/10/2008 16:42

My birthday is in the week before Christmas and I always loved having the decs up for my birthday it adds to the 'specialness' of everything mum always left the mantlepiece clear for my b'day cards though.
Joint pressies are definately a no-no my auntie insisted on buying them when I was little after about my 4th birthday mum started buying her one for both too!
Waiting all year never bothered me as a child but I did get an unbirthday present on my sisters birthday in May.

spookycharlotte121 · 12/10/2008 16:44

My birthday is the 6th of jan and it always used to really anoy me as a kid. Doesnt bother me too much now although the only draw back is that Im usually too skint from christmas to go out clubbing.

slalomsuki · 12/10/2008 16:46

DS2 is the 27th and this year we did a 5 1/2 party for him at the start of July since I am fed up that he misses out each year.

Dh's family do the joint presents thing and while he has never commented on this I know he will sometime. I tried a party in the new year when he was 4 but not many came so the 5 1/2 idea has seemed to be the best

DD shares my brithday so I have missed out for the last 3 years.....and by the way its today

IllegallyBrunette · 12/10/2008 17:03

Ds's is on 6th, and dd2's is on 12th.

So far they have always had seperate presents for birthday and xmas, but as they get older and want more expensive things then I would consider getting them a joint present.

Clayhead · 12/10/2008 17:43

Interesting how differently people see things, my dd likes to have the tree up before her birthday because that makes it special (none of her friends have a Christmas tree up at their birthday).

Maybe this will change in time?

HeinzEVILSight · 12/10/2008 19:45

Yes, poor DS1 is day after Boxing Day. Despite our efforts each year, it always feels like his birthday gets somewhat swamped by Christmas. It doesn't seem to bother him too much, we always make an effort and do cake, candles, presents and day out etc. Not so much now, but when he was younger it used to all be a bit much having another batch of presents straight after Christmas. Now I think he sees the opportunity to get cash for Christmas and add is to cash he wants for his birthday. He's 12 this year.

HeinzEVILSight · 12/10/2008 19:46

Yes, poor DS1 is day after Boxing Day. Despite our efforts each year, it always feels like his birthday gets somewhat swamped by Christmas. It doesn't seem to bother him too much, we always make an effort and do cake, candles, presents and day out etc. Not so much now, but when he was younger it used to all be a bit much having another batch of presents straight after Christmas. Now I think he sees the opportunity to get cash for Christmas and add is to cash he wants for his birthday. He's 12 this year.

beautifuldays · 12/10/2008 19:50

hi, my birthday is 2 weeks after xmas, dd's is end of january, to answer your questions-

1 - no no no no no never, i really hated that as a child

2 - god yes

3 - no

hth

Chocolateteapot · 12/10/2008 20:05

DD is 4th January. My Dad is the only one who had a tendency not to distinguish between Christmas and Birthday presents.

I always buy before her birthday and have it all wrapped well in advance before Christmas so that I can relax and enjoy her birthday as much as possible.

Christmas decorations are always down before her birthday as we have a wooden birthday ring with candles which gets carted out each year on her birthday.

We've never done another celebration any other time of the year. I do have to make sure that invitations are sent before they break up if doing a party. This year I spent a very cold and wet 45 minutes in mud at a local riding stable for her party and the sodding pony she was on trod on my foot before she'd even started. She's threatening Ringoing this year so am trying to steer her towards ice skating so I don't get wet and cold again.

solo · 12/10/2008 21:16

Happy Birthday slalomsukieand Dd of course!