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Parenting

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Original poster

How do you do mid week birthday celebrations?

13 replies

OnNaturesCourse · 28/10/2020 13:16

LO birthday is on a Monday this year, she'll be three.

Obviously right now we can't have family etc over to celebrate but will have garden visits the weekend before should the weather allow.

DP is working on the day of her actual birthday so it's got me wondering when to give her the birthday presents... She believes in what we call the birthday fairy who delivers the presents over night (much like santa) so we want to definitely give her the gifts on the Monday and not the weekend before. Would you let her open them in the morning without her Dad there, or ask her to wait?

I'm thinking letting her open one or two in the morning and play with them, then opening her bigger present at night once her Dad is home?

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Ginfilledcats · 28/10/2020 14:37

Why not just do it on the Sunday morning, she'll never know!

Original poster

OnNaturesCourse · 28/10/2020 14:47

She knows the number on the calendar that's her birthday, and is counting it down on her little calendar. She knows the birthday fairy is coming on that day with that number. Too smart for her own good. I wonder if I could cross off a extra day when shes asleep without questions being asked.

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GrouchyKiwi · 28/10/2020 15:07

My husband always takes birthdays off work.

What time does your partner go to work? Can you do a special breakfast beforehand, open one or two presents? I agree with leaving the big one till he's there.

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nicerbeing · 28/10/2020 15:12

You give your child their presents on their birthday. Sometimes this means a parent won't be there to see them being opened. Thank goodness for modern technology. Don't go messing about giving presents in the wrong day etc to compensate for the really normal event of someone going to work.

bigblueboots · 28/10/2020 15:42

When I was a kid it was always cards and one or two presents when you wake up, then everything else in the evening. If that's going to be a pattern when they're at school etc, this might be a good time to start it?

Perhaps there can be other special birthday things that can happen during the day to keep the whole day being special, and help her enjoy the excitement of waiting til evening for presents!

Original poster

OnNaturesCourse · 28/10/2020 16:21

He leaves the house at 6am, little one doesn't wake until around half 7/8 so can't do anything in the morning with them both.

Unfortunately he has limited access to his phone throughout the day, and really shouldn't be on it during work hours anyway.

Her first birthday was a day he worked as well and we just treated it like a normal day until he came home then it was cake and presents, but she's older now and it's really the first year she understands and is looking forward to her birthday. I might just try to explain to her that it would be nice to wait on Dad coming home so he can see her open the presents (and remind her that he's the master builder of toys while Mum sucks at it lol)

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nicerbeing · 28/10/2020 16:27

Unfortunately he has limited access to his phone throughout the day, and really shouldn't be on it during work hours anyway.

When I mentioned technology I meant more you recording it not video calling him in real time!

I might just try to explain to her that it would be nice to wait on Dad coming home so he can see her open the presents

She is 3. Let her have her gifts. I know people say they do it later but I always put myself in the kids position and the excitement of the presents is what matters to them.

ILiveInSalemsLot · 28/10/2020 16:28

We do gifts (and balloons) in the morning with breakfast of choice.
Then it’s a normal day.
Favourite dinner and cake in the evening.
You could do main gift then.

Original poster

OnNaturesCourse · 28/10/2020 16:38

@nicerbeing

Unfortunately he has limited access to his phone throughout the day, and really shouldn't be on it during work hours anyway.

When I mentioned technology I meant more you recording it not video calling him in real time!

I might just try to explain to her that it would be nice to wait on Dad coming home so he can see her open the presents

She is 3. Let her have her gifts. I know people say they do it later but I always put myself in the kids position and the excitement of the presents is what matters to them.

I agree, in a sense but he works hard to provide for her and I feel sad that he misses out on things like this. Plus it would only be me and her this year in the morning (no family can pop in) so I don't feel it would be as special.

Now that I think about it she gets quite overwhelmed with gifts, so maybe letting her open one or two in the morning then another few at night would help that?

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Original poster

OnNaturesCourse · 28/10/2020 16:40

@ILiveInSalemsLot

We do gifts (and balloons) in the morning with breakfast of choice. Then it’s a normal day. Favourite dinner and cake in the evening. You could do main gift then.

Would you do all the gifts in the morning without one parent being there?

I grew up in a split household but my Dad always tried to stop by in them morning, and waiting for him to arrive added to my excitement. Some years he couldn't due to work so my birthday celebrations would be in the evening and by that point I'd be fit to burst but had usually been given a few little presents to play with throughout the day.

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pincertoe · 28/10/2020 17:04

We just get up earlier and open before school and work. If that isn't an option you could try and let her open a couple and see if she can wait? I can't imagine mine would have if they could see the 'birthday fairy' had been but who knows.

ILiveInSalemsLot · 28/10/2020 17:08

@OnNaturesCourse quite often we do because dh has always worked long hours. Plus birthdays have never been a big thing with him so he was happy to hear all about it later.

uisage · 28/10/2020 20:57

DS just had his second birthday, which was on a Friday. He isn't as aware what a birthday is, of course, but we felt slightly bad about putting him to nursery. We did a couple of cards in the morning and then main present and cake in the evening. Then the rest of the presents on the Saturday and the rest of the cards on Sunday. He got very overwhelmed by it all so had to spread it out!

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