How old were YOU when you had your first birthday party?

[devilisunaccomplishedinprada]

The whole shebang with friends and everything? I was 8, and it was in McDonald's no less. It was 1986 though.

Reason I'm asking is because in them days it wasn't the norm to have a party for every single birthday from the age of 2 and invite the whole world and his friend like it seems to be the norm now. DD1 (5) has never had a birthday party - well not the type were you invite loads of people and kids anyway. Every year I always do a little tea party and close family come round and she always has a birthday cake and gets to the blow the candles out.

But I don't see the point in forking out for a party for loads of kids half of whom won't turn up. I guess part of me hasn't had that kind of party for her yet because she just doesn't seem that popular in school. I'm ok with that I was never popular in school either. She has one best friend and a few other friends who she plays with. She's only ever been invited to one party and that was her best friend's party last year.

She did ask me before xmas if she could have a birthday party for her 6th birthday in April, and I said I would think about it. I really don't want to do a party because I don't think most of them would turn up TBH. DD1 has some SEN issues and her social skills aren't up to what a normal 5 year olds would be, there more like a 3 year old's. I don't want her to be upset when hardly anyone turns up.

I know I could get to know some of the mums at the school gates but blimey it's hard. About 90% of them are complete stuck up cows. I have literally had them completely blank me when I've said hello or smiled. First time it happens I think oh she hasn't seem me, but second, third and fourth time then I know I'm not being paranoid. I know it's because dd1 has poor social skills, she's also a complete tomboy and hates playing with girls (apart from her little sister ). I think other mums see her as weird.

So I guess I'm trying to justify to myself that I'm not scarring her for life by not giving her a birthday party yet, and I'm actually trying to save her heartache by doing it. I do plan to let her have parties when she's older and hopefully has more friends and better social skills. We've planned to go to Rhyl Suncentre on her birthday instead as she loves swimming and is a little water baby.

I had small parties with friends from an early age and that's all that my dcs had ever had too. Some of the parties they go to are the big whole-class affair and some are small dos at home for a few special friends. Nobody cares who does what.

I think times have changed...I am an old bag of (nearly)41 and birthday parties really were few and far between when I was a child.I had a relatively middle class up-bringing (but my Mum hated kids) so my one and only party was when I was 12 and I had 6 friend over for a barbeque and camp in a tent in the garden.
I guess that because of this,I am determined DD has a party,where she is made to feel special,every year.It doesn't have to be big or expensive (though tends to end up that way),I just want her to feel special on her birthday as I never did.
However,if my daughter hated attention,crowds and wasn't overly sociable,I would never put her through a party if it was only likely to upset her.
You know you rdaughter best and you know how to make her birthday special-sod everyone else!

No idea, certainly pre-9 (I remember them in the old house), I would have thought pre-6.
My parties (and those of my friends) were pretty similar to those of my children, handful of friends to a traditional party at home with games.
My ds1's first party was at 4yo, 5 friends.
ds2 is 3 next week, a friend and her three children are coming to tea and we will have a cake, but other than the cake that is a normal occurance. It won't be a party.

21. My birthday is NYE, so not a great day for parties.

I never had a party either...

All say 'awwwwwwwwwww'?

no?

Fark orf then.

Never had one either. My birthday also NYE.

I have no idea. There are photos of me having a party at the house when I was 6 but no photos of any other birthdays or parties.

Parties were not such a big deal and neither were photos, I suppose.

It is a sign of our consumerist times where Leisure Time is King.

HAggis-did you have a long dress for these occasions?

As far as I'm concerned, nothing much has changed in the last 40 years. My parents did parties on the cheap unaware of social pressure. I do parties on the cheap unaware of social pressure. But they're fun. And my mum and dad never discovered water pistols as an essential adjunct to a good party. Ha! I'm one up!

I had a long dress for my 6th birthday.

And a long flowery pinafore dress for my dad's works party one Christmas.

I was eight, and i had a long tartan party dress, with 'Mull of Kintyre' playing on the "top 40" lol

I had traditional party games and jelly and ice cream parties every year from about age 5 to 8 (judging by the photos). I think most people did - but NO-ONE invited the whole class. And yes, I had the most hippy-tastic full length flowery party dresses. Very, very 70s.

I certainly remember having them and going to them in reception class - sorry to disappoint

Aged 13, courtesy of my new step mother. Prior to that no parties that friends were invited to

I don't think I ever had a full blown party, and can only remember going to 2. I did get to have 3 friends to go swimming or whatever, followed by cake and tea, and that was normal in our circles

I never had a party and still feelabout it.
I was shy and when my mum asked,I'd say no,but Ididn't reallymean it
so my kids get the works - whatever they want,however many they want to invite and where they want to go
luckily for me - it's usually not that many people or anything expensive

sorry, posted toosoon,computer is a bitnuts today - can you tellfrom writing

youknowyour dd best. don't feelbad if you;re doing something for herthatyou thinkshe'd like more. rhyl soundsace. I'd haveloved that as a kid . how abouttaking her bestfriend withher next year maybe?

I was 18 before i had a party. In my day parties were almost unheard of, not like now, kids now seem to go to parties of kids they hardly know! It's just become a thing these days to have parties for every birthday but personally i don't agree with it.

I was aged 4, I can remember the ironing board I got as a pressie,.

I have just found the photos - I cant get over how much I look like my dd in one photo when I am the same age omg!

I was 9

I remember it as though it was yesterday! It was a joint party with a friend whose birthday was the day after mine. It was in a prefab next to our school. It was one of the best days of my life

I can remember 3. One when I was 5 or 6, one when I was about 10 and one when I was 18. All of them were at home, with a few friends.

I think I must have been 4, but I remember going to loads of parties, aged between 4 and 8. In those long nylon flowery dresses which were quite the thing in the 70s for little girls. It was the norm. Mostly parties at home, some big, some small.

I like parties, so do DP and all our children, so we have lots of them.

I had my first age 3 (I was a PFB!!) and got my first long 1970s-style party dress age 4. I remember going to loads of parties - almost all were at my friends' houses with traditional party games. "Hedgehogs" covered in cocktail sticks with cheese & pineapple cubes anyone?

I think parties nowadays tend to be bigger for younger kids and more likely to be at soft plays etc but I do rememebr parties being quite a big deal in the 70s for me.