When did birthday parties go from a quiet, intimate celebration of the child’s life to a huge, expensive, stressful endeavor? I’m not saying big parties every year are wrong or bad. Just wondering when this progression happened.
As a child and a teen I don’t remember having massive birthday get-togethers, especially every year. I remember waking up excited that it was my birthday and knowing that I would come home from school and have cake and presents to open with my immediate family.
So why do kids now (including mine) have huge parties every year? And how do you make the milestone years different? If every year is an extravagant party with 50+ attendants and a billion new toys, then how can you possibly make the 10th or 16th or other special years, special?
How do you feel about parties every year?
Do you have one every year for your child? Do you think it will spoil a child or give them a warped sense of entitlement because they expect a party and gifts from everyone every year? Is it better to have a smaller, intimate, immediate family gathering with cake and presents from parents and siblings?
All I want for my kids is to be happy and enjoy their special day. But having friends and family who feel so differently on this matter and who expect different things always leaves me stressed out about the upcoming birthday months.
What are your thoughts?
We have had birthday parties, but, definitely not every year. We prefer family parties.
I guess we are fortunate not to have family that live any where near us so we get to do what we want and no one butts in!
We do a large 1st birthday party then just family … well until apparently kindergarten. Grace gets to have a party and invite her class this year. Hopefully it isn’t too big … I don’t even know how many kids that is yet. ack!
Small family parties are my favorite though!
we do parties almost every year because we like getting together with family and friends to celebrate. Life is so busy that sometimes we need reasons to stop and relax and enjoy cake and snacks LOL
We don’t do friend parties every year. We do a big all family 1st bday then bdays 2, 3 &4 are small immediate family (grandparents and my sibling and hubbys siblings). 5th bday we do larger with immediate family and some cousins with kids and a couple friends from school.
Friend parties are not every year.
however every bday has a theme and I make the invites and coordinate the theme.
I don’t remember ever having a party! I know some people who go all out and others who keep it simple. I don’t have any preference.
I’m now a GFC {Lorri}