I am a Christmas Eve baby and it took me decades to recover from never having a real birthday party.

Please have a birthday party for your kids. Kids need to feel celebrated and feel special.

Anonymous wrote:We always celebrate our toddler's birthday when we have family over for Christmas. And we send cupcakes to daycare/school. But attendance gets spotty around the holidays, and there are some other friends who don't go to the same school.

Would you have a separate birthday party? If so, when?

If we have one we'd request no gifts as there have already been plenty.

Tbh I'm somewhat burnt out from the holidays. But this may be our only child, so my conscience (or anxiety?) is saying we should be making an effort on these connections.

I had a friend whose birthday was on Christmas Day and her mother always had one room in the house with whatever birthday theme she wanted. On her 12th birthday she wanted something really special that was Christmas. Her mother took her five "best friends" to Radio City Music Hall to see the Rockettes and watch their March of the Wooden Soldiers.

Have a family party at Christmas or close to Christmas. Then the friend birthday party can be like a quarter birthday or a half birthday. Some people are really being snots on this thread. I think nobody cares as long as they’re not being asked to give two gifts.

My oldest was not a Christmas baby, but close and that is what we did.

Anonymous wrote:I have a New Year's Eve baby. I never found a good time to have a birthday party. If you try before the holidays, then you lose people because they're busy. After the holidays, the weather is always a factor in this area. We decided for us that birthday celebrations would be just our family and that we'd do special things - like a day at an indoor water park, learning archery, things like that. And always a restaurant dinner at the birthday kid's choice restaurant.

I disagree. My now 25-year-old has a mid-January birthday. Sure, we tend to get snow in January, but most years, if we get anything, it's pretty light. It never caused a significant problem for us.

We have a DC with an early January birthday and usually postpone the party until mid January. Mid January has been fine for a (kids) party. Everyone is back in town. The only caveat is that due to weather it will always need to be an indoor party. If it is a big party we did no gifts, but more recently for a smaller one we did gifts. DC enjoyed getting a few gifts from friends, but it did add to the toy overload from Xmas.

I would have a cake for just your nuclear family (or whoever you are already with that day) for DC's actual birthday day and then do a friend party later in the month. I wouldn't worry about doing a friend party until at least kindergarten, maybe even first grade. Your DC won't remember or care before then.

Anonymous wrote:I have a kid born on Christmas day and we typically host a party for friends the 2nd weekend in January and get good turnout. I send out invites before kids go on winter break (ES age). We celebrate it as a family on Christmas day.

+1
This is the way to go.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think you should just do what you’re doing and celebrate with family and cake on Christmas.

Then plan a half birthday party in June. It will be a lot more fun for your kid than trying to squeeze in a winter party.

Don't try to do this. This is ridiculous.

No, it's brilliant. The party is in June, and the birthday is acknowledged in a low-key way the day of. No one wants yet another party in December and everyone is partied out in January.

This will start to matter once your child is in grade school, OP, because they'll see other kids' parties and they want one of their own. For right now, you can just continue to have the low-key acknowledgement.

While I think it’s fine to celebrate on their half birthday I disagree that everyone is partied out. My kids do not make any connection between a friends bday party in January with holiday parties in December. My DD has a mid Jan birthday and always has a good turnout especially when we celebrate early in the month. Most people are not traveling and there doesn’t seem to be as many sports conflicts as the fall or spring. Parents are happy to have something to entertain their kids while it’s cold outside (especially when parties become drop off).

Agree that Jan parties are great. Mine is born beginning of Jan but we do a friends party further into the month when everyone is back.

I agree with PPs that you can wait till your kid is old enough to be excited for their bday, going to a lot of parties, excited for their own, etc.

for a toddler, you don't need to do more than you have done already.

starting around age four or five, your kid may want a party. do it either before thanksgiving or in January.

Anonymous wrote:For friends, first week back to school.

This is probably the best, but just be aware that, once your DC is in elementary school, every kid with a birthday from mid-December through early January will have a party this same weekend. If your DC has a friend/classmate with a birthday in this range, it will be smart to coordinate.

We have a early Jan birthday and always have stellar attendance at bday parties the weekend after new years. Right before school starts back up and everyone is back in town. I also like the half bday party idea instead of that's what your child prefers. It's so much easier and cheaper to plan an outdoors summer vs winter bday party. Just do not switch it up as this gets confusing for the kid.

You could always go old school and do it on January 6. Just don't forget to wrap up some gold, frankincense, or myrrh.

Anonymous wrote:I think you should just do what you’re doing and celebrate with family and cake on Christmas.

Then plan a half birthday party in June. It will be a lot more fun for your kid than trying to squeeze in a winter party.

That’s what my aunt and uncle did for my cousins who had birthdays on 12/20 and 12/24 (this was back in the 80s).