Need Ideas to Make Christmas Birthday Special

My daughter's birthday is Dec 21st and she LOVES that its so close to Christmas. We thought it would be a big issue too, but she even said last year something about how Santa knew it was her birthday and how special it is that he comes near her b-day. She'll be 7 this year and we're doing her friend party on the 18th- before everyone leaves town. My inlaws will be here the 20th-22nd. We'll do birthday on Sunday night and Christmas on Monday and they leave Tues. am. It's rushed, but separated and works for us. At 2 it'll be hard for her to separate it out in her head- it's gets so busy this time of year anyway, I wouldn't stress too much about it. K

My birthday is December 27th. The first thing everyone says to me when they hear my birthday is two days after Christmas is "Wow, so you get cheated." Actually, I have never felt cheated. I love having a birthday two days after Christmas. As a kid I was always off of school on my birthday. And I used to have New Year's birthday parties, which I looked forward to every year.

My advice for years to come: if you are having a party, do the big celebration after. It'll give your child something to look forward to after Christmas is over. An idea for Christmas Day: decorate the house with balloons and streamers the night before so your child is surprised when she wakes up and sees it all first thing in the morning. Maybe do something you would never do like let her eat a mini-cupcake for breakfast.

Trust me, having to share her b-day with Christmas will not be a big deal as she gets older. If anything, she will be more annoyed by the predictable reaction that she gets from people who assume that having a Christmas birthday is a bad thing and she has to explain that she had a great mother, who went out of her way to make her remember that it was her special day, too.

It is a blessing and a curse to have a holiday birthday. The blessing is that her birthday will always have family around, in good cheer, and nobody will ever forget, her arrival has altered the holiday in a special way for ever. For this reason, find a way, with your entire family, to recognize your daughter's birthday on the day. Build a tradition at breakfast (I love what the other mon said about a candle in the pancakes!) or maybe later in the afternoon when the Christmas excitement is over. Make a tradition of a second round of presents, just for her (with your birthday paper), pulled out of a different gift closet or chiminey, before dinner. Find something that is easy and fun and seperate from Christmas even though it is on the same day.
Things will actually become more complex when she gets older and wants to have a birthday party outside of the immediate family. The party will have to be well before or after, just because none of her little friends will be available. She will adapt, as the kid's with birthdays over the summer, on Thanksgiving, or the Fourth of July have. For now, build a little tradition on Christmas Day -

I am a professional Children's party Planner and owner of Have A Bashery haveabashery.com and wrote a blog article about this very topic right after Halloween http://haveabashery.blogspot.com/. Good Luck to you and Congratulations on having two things to celebrate on December 25th!
M. Fortnow
____@____.com

My son's birthday is on Dec 21st. I have to say, we just never made a big deal about him 'missing' something because his b-day was close to Christmas and he has NEVER complained or felt like he was getting less attention for his birthday. In fact, when we've offered to do a 'half-birthday' instead, he said he likes having his birthday right at Christmastime!

We have a party for him when it is convenient. This year it will be on the 18th, because that's when his friends can come and it won't be too hectic for anyone. Normally we do separate gifts, but this year he wanted one very expensive thing ( a PSP) and my mom and dad gave it to him for birthday AND Christmas and he was just fine with it.

my advice- fuss over your child on her birthday- she totally deserves it! But don't fall into the trap of worrying about it not being 'special' enough because it is also Christmas- don't create an issue where one doesn't exist.

She will take her cues from you and if you make it clear that both HER birthday and Christmas are super important, but just happen at the same time, I am sure she will be FINE with it.

Just have a party for her friends ahead of time- other parents will appreciate that too, since most people already have plans the week of Christmas- I know from experience!

My son will be 2 on 12/21 and we have his party a week early now. Last year we had it on the day just because it was his first birthday but this year we are having it this Saturday. I feel it separates it from the holiday and allows him to have a special day. In my family we also go to my grandparents (out of town several hours away) for Christmas Day and my grandpa's birthday is the day after Christmas so for part of our dessert with Christmas dinner we always have a birthday cake for the December birthdays and sing happy birthday- maybe that is not too much to fit in to the family celebration? I know its hard as we have to travel for every holiday which is why I decided to do it a week early. I think as he gets older we will continue to do that and then either do something special like let him open a birthday gift when he wakes up on his actual birthday or something like that. Hope this helps! Sam

WOW! Our sympathies are with you! We have 4 children born in Dec...my son's (4) y/o b-day was yesterday and the 22nd is my triplet daughters 1st birthday. If you ask me you have to give her a special day (as she gets older). You may be able to get away with something small now but later it will be SUPER important. Give her an entire day...eve or the day after...make it all about her! I would also REQUIRE that if my family wants our presence at Christmas, they have a special cake just for her since it is her b-day. I am serious!!!

Beware that later in her life some people will give her one gift and say it is for both things...I hate that! Best of luck to you.

D. Mom to 4!

Can you do something Saturday? This would kind of extend the holiday celebrations and maybe family can all be available to get together for a few hours. Your daughter can still know her birthday is special even if you celebrate after. The main point is to let her feel that her birthday is special.
And one thing you can ado that would really only take a minute or two, everyone can sing Happy Birthday to her Christmas morning.

I don't know if you can fit in a breakfast celebration, but a candle in a donut or stack of pancakes is pretty special to the younger crowd...my neighbors kids always start their birthday out with a candle in a donut for breakfast and they think it is the greatest (and one of them is now 7 and still loves it!)

One thing we did for my daughter when she was 2 (although not a Christmas birthday) was buy her a bunch of mylar balloons. She thought they were about the greatest thing ever. I know they can be kind of expensive at a grocery store but my husband got them at at a dollar store so you could try to check that out. They would make her feel special and have nothing to do with Christmas!

How about a family birthday breakfast tradition? Her favorite things to eat with a birthday present? You can always do parties before or after...

I would tell the families that there needs to be some time for your daughter's birthday next year to set it up now. My daughter turned 3 this year and it was amazing how her birthday attitude changed in a year. This year you could probably get away with making sure there was a birthday cake for her on the 25th and singing "Happy Birthday" but next year she will want more. And, really, it is her birthday and she deserves to be celebrated.

If I were you for this year I would contact the host for both days and tell them that you are going to bring a birthday cake for your daughter so that the families can celebrate her birthday. It will only take 10 minutes to light a candle, sing a song and have her blow out the candle, but it will mean a lot to her.

Good Luck,
D.

When I was in grade school, there was another student who was born on Christmas. Her parents let her pick the day to celebrate her birthday. Usually she celebrated her half birthday in June, but I remember one year she wanted to go to a special zoo day that was happening in May and they let her. I remember her saying that even though her parents were careful to give her two sets of gifts, she got short-changed by everybody else, and that her birthday could just never compete with Christmas. She seemed to like having the celebrations separate. Just an idea.