Siblings with birthdays within weeks of each other

[Anonymous]

If my kids were born within a few weeks of each other, we would do alternating year parties. We may even start that anyway. We have so many young aunts, uncles, Godparents, family friends and out-of-town grandparents that it a real burden to expect them to show up at two kid parties that close together. We do pretty expensive parties with entertainment and kid and great adult food.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Unless they decide they want a joint party, two parties. Each kid gets their own party.

same

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes, we alternate years. There are just too many people who would have to go to both parties. This year (covid permitting) our six year old will get the party and our four year old will get the birthday Disneyland trip (we’re in California) with us, sibling, nanny and local grandparents. We do this every year. When they grow out of Disneyland, we’ll find another birthday vacation for the kid with the non-party year.

Another California parent here and our kids always had the choice of either a party or an overnight at Disneyland. They almost always chose the Disney birthday.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If my kids were born within a few weeks of each other, we would do alternating year parties. We may even start that anyway. We have so many young aunts, uncles, Godparents, family friends and out-of-town grandparents that it a real burden to expect them to show up at two kid parties that close together. We do pretty expensive parties with entertainment and kid and great adult food.

Same. It can’t be every year. We have lovely family parties and gifts, of course, every year but the big party every year can’t happen.

[Anonymous]

Alternating sounds terrible. It would be so hard for one kid to see the other get a big party and not have the same. A year is a super long time for little kids and their horizon is very immediate. Honestly a year is a long time for an n adult!

Mine are close together and Xmas too so it's a lot but the rest of the year there isn't that much.

[Anonymous]

I am confused, if you only want to throw one party a year, why would you not make it a joint party? Why is one kid left out? Are we talking like massive parties with a budget on par with a wedding or something?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Unless they decide they want a joint party, two parties. Each kid gets their own party.

Yep. But we don’t throw lavish events - cupcakes from a box, a Costco thing of chips, and a playground = party.

Ugh. I hate those parties. Especially the ones like that where you are expected to bring a gift.

+ 1. I’m sorry, PP, but I really hate those parties too unless it’s absolutely a no gift party.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am confused, if you only want to throw one party a year, why would you not make it a joint party? Why is one kid left out? Are we talking like massive parties with a budget on par with a wedding or something?

The kids may not want a joint party. And yes, I think people are talking about more than pizza in the park.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Unless they decide they want a joint party, two parties. Each kid gets their own party.

Yep. But we don’t throw lavish events - cupcakes from a box, a Costco thing of chips, and a playground = party.

Ugh. I hate those parties. Especially the ones like that where you are expected to bring a gift.

+ 1. I’m sorry, PP, but I really hate those parties too unless it’s absolutely a no gift party.

DP but what's wrong with that kind of a party? What does a gift have to do with the type of party thrown?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Alternating sounds terrible. It would be so hard for one kid to see the other get a big party and not have the same. A year is a super long time for little kids and their horizon is very immediate. Honestly a year is a long time for an n adult!

Mine are close together and Xmas too so it's a lot but the rest of the year there isn't that much.

No it’s really isn’t hard. I’m the PP with the three kids all born in the same month. We always celebrated each kid’s birthday with special dinner, outing, gifts and cake but just didn’t have a big friend party every year. The kids were perfectly fine with it and very loving and supportive of the sibling whose party it was - especially the older kids with the youngest.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Unless they decide they want a joint party, two parties. Each kid gets their own party.

Yep. But we don’t throw lavish events - cupcakes from a box, a Costco thing of chips, and a playground = party.

Ugh. I hate those parties. Especially the ones like that where you are expected to bring a gift.

+ 1. I’m sorry, PP, but I really hate those parties too unless it’s absolutely a no gift party.

DP but what's wrong with that kind of a party? What does a gift have to do with the type of party thrown?

It’s a gift-grab. My kids go to that park twice a week and having cupcakes there isn’t special or worthy of the parents spending $25 bucks for a gift.

[Anonymous]

My kids' birthdays are five days apart and right before Christmas. They are now 7 and 5 and are very close. This year they were fine with a joint party, but I expect that will change soon. My plan is each can get a "big" party every other year (alternating) and in the off year they can do something small like ice skating with 2 or 3 friends. My parents also always let me invite a friend to my brothers' parties so I had someone to play with and I may end up doing something like that too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Anticipating when covid is over.

If you have kids with birthday a couple weeks apart, do you alternate party years between the two. Obviously we’ll have family parties every year but I mean the entire class, family friend, neighbors party? One year is his year for a big party and the next year is hers?

My kids birthdays are 5/2 and 5/14.

If you do this and then have a third kid born in October, you need to slot them into the rotation as well and everyone only gets a party every tried year. You can’t favor the third just because their birthday is more convenient.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Unless they decide they want a joint party, two parties. Each kid gets their own party.

Yep. But we don’t throw lavish events - cupcakes from a box, a Costco thing of chips, and a playground = party.

Ugh. I hate those parties. Especially the ones like that where you are expected to bring a gift.

+ 1. I’m sorry, PP, but I really hate those parties too unless it’s absolutely a no gift party.

DP but what's wrong with that kind of a party? What does a gift have to do with the type of party thrown?

It’s a gift-grab. My kids go to that park twice a week and having cupcakes there isn’t special or worthy of the parents spending $25 bucks for a gift.

I'm so grateful for my group of down-to-earth like-minded parents that absolutely throw these kinds of parties. The kids have a blast and its all good.

Its also surprising to me that people actually expect gifts at kids birthday parties in this region still. I can't remember the last one I've been to where anyone has brought a gift.

[Anonymous]

Two parties when they are young.