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Original poster

Does everyone have a kiddies birthday party EVERY year for EVERY child???

66 replies

opinionsrus · 04/01/2007 21:01

The only reason that I am bringing this up is that I am just in the throws of organising "huge" birthday party for 3 yr old DS - well 10 kids at home thats huge enough isn't it?

This isn't because I particularly like doing this as I know some people do, but was just wondering if everyone else had parties every year or just as and when sort of thing???

Please don't be backwards in coming forwards with views of lo's parties!!!

OP posts:
TheArmadillo · 04/01/2007 21:04

my ds is 2. He hasn't really had a party yet (had a couple of relatives over for his 1st birthday and sees his gps on his birthday). I don;t see the point at this age.

If he wants one in the future then I'll do one, but I ain't organising a huge party. The idea of it makes me shudder

Glassofwine · 04/01/2007 21:05

I have three children and am keen for the party thing to stop. Up until they were 2 it was just a small do, but from 3 onwards they've had a party. By which I mean about 20 - 40 children, hall, entertainer, party bags etc etc

I stupidly started it with dd1 and then felt that the others should follow suit. I've just done dd2 and ds party and have explained to them the economics of it. If we didn't have a party they'd be more money for presents - finally I think they understand.

DD1 only had 10 for her 7th b.day from about 7 onwards the calm down and tend to be a handful of friends.

tiredemma · 04/01/2007 21:09

no.

ds1 had a first bday party and a 6th bday party.

ds2 (age 3) has never had a party

janeite · 04/01/2007 21:20

We've always done them at home for both girls but no more than 12 children at a time. Last year dd1 broke the tradition and invited 5 friends to a restaurant instead. Not sure what we'll do this year but I'd like to think that dd2 (who will be 10)will still appreciate a party at home. Suspect dd1 will want a cinema trip or something instead.

TheArmadillo · 04/01/2007 21:22

12

Hulababy · 04/01/2007 21:23

I only have the one child, 4yo DD, and so far we have had a party each year. First two were very small with family and a couple of friend's children. 3rd and 4th were larger parties - 20+ children. I envisage doing parties of a similar vein for next couple of years at least I guess. I quite like it all though.

CarolTheAncientYuletideTroll · 04/01/2007 21:25

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

janeite · 04/01/2007 21:29

Not always 12 - don't worry!!! That was the most we've ever had. Others have been fewer - and the last one was just 6 plus our 2!

Original poster
opinionsrus · 04/01/2007 21:37

Um...interesting..just what I suspected some do and some don't. I think its when you are working that its worse cos all you hear about is so and so's party, or so and so's party every other day and you feel like the mother from hell if you don't have one.

Had quite a largish one for 1st bday, family only for 2nd and then larger one for 3rd.

There is so much pressure though to have one, ds doesn't really even seem to understand yet the concept of parties, but hey ho.

After all the agonising though my little "events" seem to go quite well and I know that everyone else enjoys them even if I don't...

I can't even get plastered afterwards though cos I'm 6 mths pregnant...AAARGH help!!!

OP posts:
Califrau · 04/01/2007 21:38

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster
opinionsrus · 04/01/2007 21:40

Great idea two for the price of one!

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nikkie · 04/01/2007 22:55

Both mine started having parties fortheir 3rd b'days then had big ones (30ish) for their 4th/5th dd1s 6th)
dd1s 7th was 15 kids in a swimming pool and we said that was the last big one but it was a really good party so next year she will hav that option or smaller group to cinema/pizza/bowling type party

themoon66 · 05/01/2007 00:11

Mine had their first parties at age 4. Then one each year till age 8. Since then, DD had her 16th in Italian restaurant with 6 friends and no parents present (preset budget). Her 18th was a joint party with her grandad, who was 80 on the same day.

DS is happy to go for a curry with me and his dad on birthdays. He is 16 next time.

fortyplus · 05/01/2007 00:13

Mine always had a party - usually quite small. The 'non-birthday' child is always allowed to invite one friend

eidsvold · 05/01/2007 03:12

dd1 had a party at 1 - we had a rough year and figured it was more for us than her

then her first real children's party was this year when she turned four. Dd2 has not had a party at all for her birthday and will probably have one the year she turns 4 also - which will be her first year at kindy when she will have more friends rather than family friends iyswim.

Could not imagine having a party for each child ( be 3 dcs soon) every year but some people do. We will probably do something where we will go out to dinner and perhaps they can have a friend come over for afternoon tea and then every few years have a party.

we always go out to dinner for birthdays though - just the family and sometimes surrogate grandparents.

Original poster
opinionsrus · 05/01/2007 15:48

Bump for the parties!

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Blondilocks · 05/01/2007 15:52

DD (8) has had big parties (20ish children) for her last 3 bday's. The year before that we were on holiday & she hadn't started school yet so we didn't.

Every year we have a little gathering on her birthday with her aunty & paternal grandparents - this is normally just a small buffet or some years just cake & wine sort of thing.

Next year I think we'll take a small select group bowling for her birthday celebrations.

Troutpout · 05/01/2007 15:56

ds (9)
Had a few friends around for tea and cake his 3rd,8th and 9th birthdays. For his 4th,6th, 7th he had 'venue' parties and for his 5th i did a more traditional party at home with games etc
dd(4)
Had a few little friends around for tea for 1st,2nd, and 3rd birthdays.
Yesterday she had her 4th party at a soft play centre

Ladymuck · 05/01/2007 15:58

We always have something but I am also expecting that this will start to reduce to a "treat with 3 or 4 friends". As a working parents I pay for the local leisure centre to do the hard work, and so just send and follow up on invites and thank you letters. Personally I would find that doing one at home would be more work than I'd happily sign up to but we usually throw 2 or 3 largish (non-kids birthday) parties during the year and invite familes (easier in the summer months as we have a large garden).

Posey · 05/01/2007 15:58

Dd has had:
1st - immediate family at home
2nd - picnic with friends in park
3rd - ditto, but added a couple of games
4th - 7 or 8 friends here for tea and a few
games
5th - ditto
6th - whole class (approx 30) at local soft
play
7th - took 3 friends to the beach + meal
8th - 5 friends trampolining
9th - swimming party

Original poster
opinionsrus · 05/01/2007 16:01

I LOVE the idea of paying sm else to do all the work ie leisure centre.

Have never asked but I am pretty sure that if you hire out the leisure centre here, you still have to do all the organising/food etc yourself anyway...anyone know anything else on this??? Am I just in the dark.

OP posts:
Twiglett · 05/01/2007 16:02

DS had

1st .. joint party with friend (18 guests) - her house
2nd .. party our house (13 guests)
3rd .. party church hall with toddler group toys (23 guests)
4th .. party soft play (14 guests)
5th .. party secondary school gym with bouncy castle(25 guests)
6th .. TBA

DD had

1st .. party our house .. but all DS' friends (6 people )
2nd .. party our house again mainly DS friends but 2 of hers (8 people)
3rd .. TBA

oh and this year we had an and end of term / christmas party just for the hell of it .. 12 guests

Original poster
opinionsrus · 05/01/2007 16:02

Posey...sth different every year, like that idea too....

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titchy · 05/01/2007 16:06

Age 1 - both had small parties at home(NCT group children)
age 2 - both had joint party with said NCT groups at theatre and toddler soft play centre (one cake shared between 6 or so of them)
between the ages of 3 and 6 - parties for 20-odd at soft play or entertainer in hall -managed one party between both of them for two years - mind you had to invite nearly 40 kids on those two occassions - dh and I nearly drunk our local off licence dry afterwards.....)
dd age 7 - shared gym party with best friend
dd age 8 sleepover party for 6 ( see off licence reference again...)

ds age 6 just had 6 friends to cinema then back to wreck house.

From now on I am reckoning on them still having parties but inviting less than 10 - maybe cinema, theatre, pottery painting, tank or go-kart driving.

On their actual birthdays we always take them out for a family meal too, to a restaurant of their choice (Pizza Express for dd and Burger King for ds! ).

serenity · 05/01/2007 16:09

They don't have a party each every year, and if they do have one it's a 'present', my mum and sister help me finance it instead of buying them something. Having said that we do generally have a family meal (gps, aunts/uncles, cousins), but there isn't that many of us and it's mainly an excuse for everyone to meet up rather than a balloons and games type thing. DD who's 3 has only had 'family' ones so far, but will probably have one in November for her 4th as it will be a nice way to get to know the other parents and children in her Nursery class.