My daughter is now 19 months and I like to plan ahead with her birthday. Last year I started 6 months away. This year was the same...Until this morning. When asking my mother advice about when my daughter's big day should be and I was informed that my family had decided (without my input or consent) that since our family has so many birthdays between June and July that we would all just have one big party for EVERYBODY, thus avoiding a party every few weeks. I understand it cuts the cost of food and decorations and it makes sense. Kind of.
Here's the thing though. All of their kids are over the age of 5. They have each had their own Big Special day, at least once a year (more if you include when they have friend parties and family parties) up until now. My daughter is only turning 2, and excuse me if I feel the second birthday should be just as special as the first (if only a little less people attending). I don't want to take pictures of her at a shared cake with kids who can't be around my toddler for longer than 20 minutes without getting mad and yelling at her, or trying to pick her up and hold her (she's the size of a three year old at this point, so half the size of most the other kids who will be at the party), or getting knocked over because of all their rough housing.
Furthermore, we're FAMILY! Shouldn't we WANT to see each other more often when the chance presents itself? or is that just me? I know that it gets to be annoying being around people that can drive you insane for long periods of time, but no one is FORCING you to stay the whole time. I don't even care about presents. I like to see my family. But that's another thing. How are all these people going to buy all of those presents at same time with no time in between. It'll be like Christmas, except this past Christmas we did secret Santa...
Am I totally wrong? Am I over-reacting? I had a theme picked out and EVERYthing. She's too young to have a party with friends and she only has one friend anyway. But is the second party really NOT supposed to be as special as the first one? Am I like completely off my rocker?
IMO, the 1st and second, sometimes even the 3rd birthdays are more for the parents rather than the kids.. At that age the kids really don't care. They don't even fully recognize what's going on. We didn't start having "parties" until our kids were 4. For the first couple of years it was a homemade cake, a few presents and We's sing... Then end.
I would do the group party as a family party and just have a small party with her friends and close family on her actual birthday. In my opinion, at two they really don't remember much and won't really be able to get into a big party, I think the later birthdays, like 5-10, are more important to make memorable.
In my husband's family they celebrate birthdays up until a certain age. At two, yes, they should want to come to a small party. your immediate families at least (maybe not aunts and uncles you aren't close to)
Well then I'd just say that they can go ahead and have one big party for the older kids but you are still going to have a separate party for your LO, and if they don't want to attend they don't have to. They can't just sit down without you and make decisions for you about what kind of party you can have for your LO, you can do what you want. The only caution I have is to not get upset if they don't want to come. Invite them but have no expectations or you'll just get upset when they don't come. Invite friends too so that at least someone will come. They had incredibly bad taste to do that and just 'inform' you like that. So do what you want, invite everyone, but don't get mad if they don't come. You just have a fun time with the peple who are there and let it go.
If that were my family, i'd still have a separate party for my dd anyways, and still go to the big one too...my kid WILL have her special day with mom and dad all to herself without having to share it.
I think b-day parties for tots are overrated. They are not for the kid. They are for the parents. My dd is 3 and we haven't done any parties big parties yet.
But with that being said...to each their own. If you want your kid to have a party then have at it. Tell your family that you prefer a separate party for your little one.
When should I potty train her?
- KawaiiLila
on Feb. 9, 2013 at 11:45 AM