How much interest do your kids show in YOUR birthday?

[Anonymous]

I had to fight with my teen yesterday to leave the house for a family outing to celebrate my birthday. Neither kid seems particularly interested in doing anything/making a card/wishing a happy birthday. How mad would you be? I'm tired of having little kids in bigger bodies.

[Anonymous]

I only have girls.
I loved the home made cards when they were younger.
I get small gifts now and if around, they join us for dinner - very low key which I prefer.
I would be upset too if there was no acknowledgment of my bday.

[Anonymous]

We go out to dinner for everyone’s birthday—birthday person’s choice. Kids get gifts for theirs, adults are fine with cards and good attitudes.

[Anonymous]

A respectable amount? They have a handmade card, they don’t let me do any work or cook anything, they plan things. My birthday was last month and they did the choreography to a Taylor Swift song, and baked cookies.

[Anonymous]

I barely have interest in my birthday.

[Anonymous]

I have boys. Not much. However, they will go along with whatever we, as a family have planned. But they don't do anything special on their own for me.

[Anonymous]

My 16 yr old DD still goes all out for me. My 19 yr old son goes along with my DD. Not sure if he'd be overly involved if my DD wasn't around.

[Anonymous]

I don’t know why everyone is adding the genders of their kids, but I guess I will too. I have two girls and a boy. None of them care the slightest about my birthday. This past year I announced a week ahead of time that my expectation of each of them was two things 1) wish me happy birthday without me having to tell them the day of, and 2) go along without any complaints to a family dinner to celebrate my birthday. I reminded them of these two things the day before. Day of, they all did those two things, and also each made me a homemade card.

[Anonymous]

I have two teen boys. One goes out of his way, bakes a cake, ordered and insisted on paying for takeout one year when my husband had to work late. The other just says happy birthday.

[Anonymous]

OP, if it’s the tradition in your family to celebrate their birthdays and mark the occasion, then I’d be sad if my kids didn’t have the feeling that they should recognize my birthday. I think if you made plans to go out to dinner on your birthday and they were grumbling or dragging their feet, I’d be hurt. And when I was calm I would have a talk with them about it.

[Anonymous]

My teen has always made a big deal out of birthdays and Mother’s and Father’s Day. They do anything from beautiful handmade artwork and cards to borrowing a credit card or using their own money to purchase and wrap gifts.

Maybe have a discussion with your teens about celebrating people on their special day and kindness in general. Do your spouses acknowledge and encourage your kids to remember?

[Anonymous]

I have 3 teen DDs. I've got no complaints on my birthday. They do what I want for the day and bake me a cake. But they've been doing that for years and DH enforced during the early years, just like I did for his birthday.

Honestly, if they were jerks about my birthday I'd be much less inclined to celebrate theirs with a big hooray

[Anonymous]

Mine will go help get the cake, wish me a happy birthday and go out with us. I don’t expect a gift. Spouse usually will but a card from them and flowers.

[Anonymous]

Do you have a dh? Mine preps them early - like, send me a link for a gift by X, is your card ready, keep lunch open Sunday for mom’s birthday and be nice to her, etc.

After years of this, it seems to be starting to stick. I do the same for him too.

[Anonymous]

This is the job of DH. To show your kids how important this by Doug things himself and helping the kids do it as well. From young to moving out.