skeeterbug Posted July 20, 2013 Share Posted July 20, 2013 Does your family have any fun birthday traditions? I'm thinking things like the birthday person gets to choose the evening meal, etc. Just looking for something to make birthdays special around here. My 5yo is turning six soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Mungo Posted July 20, 2013 Share Posted July 20, 2013 The birthday child chooses the meal. Sometimes, it is something I cook and sometimes we go out. My eldest dd's birthday is close to Christmas, so she has a "birthday tree" for her birthday presents as they arrive (we love far from family, so they tend to trickle in). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BarbecueMom Posted July 20, 2013 Share Posted July 20, 2013 We always have waffles topped with ice cream for breakfast on birthday weekends. This is a tradition that DH had growing up, and we continued it. It's way too much sugar for one weekend when you include the cake and stuff, but it gets the ice cream out of the house in two days! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris in VA Posted July 20, 2013 Share Posted July 20, 2013 We get to choose the meal. We open cards first and read them out loud. The schmaltzy ones may get verbal violin accompaniment! When the kids were littler,we measured on the wall.At night, I told them the story of their birth, adding certain details as they aged. We love birthdays. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angie in VA Posted July 20, 2013 Share Posted July 20, 2013 The Birthday CurtainI got this curtain w/ pockets all over it years ago. The fabric is pretty sheer, so you can see through it well. On the eve of the child's birthday, I put up the curtain on a tension rod in the doorway to his bedroom. As the dc have gotten older, I make as much noise as possible while doing this and I finish up with, "Nothing to see here! Go to sleep!"In the pockets are dollars and cents of the birthday age. Ds turned 14 this month, so he got $14.14 in singles and pennies. (Sometimes the money is not in singles in pennies, but the curtain has a lot of pockets, and each pocket MUST be filled!) There are 5 items that get used yearly. One is a little clown w/ a button you push and it plays "Happy Birthday". Oh, may that bettery never die!If we give small gifts, they are wrapped and put in pockets. An easy pocket filler is gum. Sometimes a birthday card is put in a wide pocket. Larger gifts are just wrapped and placed at their places at the table. We get/make a cake. Parties are not every year here, but our children loved their "golden" birthdays and were old enough for fun parties for each. (For ex. if your dc is born on July 11, the year he turns 11, that is what we call his "golden" birthday. It gets lost on most of the single digits.)The birthday curtain is just a little tradition we happened upon and the kids love it. Fun way to start their birthday!We all love this tradition. I call it the only thing I do right as a mom. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlmiraGulch Posted July 20, 2013 Share Posted July 20, 2013 The whole family beats the birthday person awake with balloons on their birthday morning and we have cake for breakfast. The birthday person also chooses dinner and doesn't have to do any chores for the entire day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Night Elf Posted July 20, 2013 Share Posted July 20, 2013 In our family, the birthday person chooses where to eat (always a restaurant) and decides what kind of cake they want. We almost always buy store bought cakes but the birthday person gets to choose if it's regular cake or cookie cake, and then icing flavors. The adults never get gifts on our birthdays, but the kids do. They usually only ask for one thing and they get it unwrapped. We don't have parties, it's just always laid back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parrothead Posted July 20, 2013 Share Posted July 20, 2013 We have two birthdays and a wedding anniversary within a 7 day period. We throw one party celebrating all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soufflegirl Posted July 20, 2013 Share Posted July 20, 2013 The birthday person gets presents, but they also give everyone else a little present. Something small, like a box of crayons or a coloring book or a jump rope. Kind of like a hobbit birthday party. :) It works great with little kids, because the little gift is enough of a distraction that the birthday child is left in peace to play with their cool new toys. And everyone ends up happy. (Just to clarify, our birthday parties are just DH and I and the kids. We don't have 80 people over getting crayons, lol.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nd293 Posted July 20, 2013 Share Posted July 20, 2013 Dd12 gets a tin of cream - the type that sprays out. I would never normally buy it, and she would always ask, and talked me into getting it for her birthday one year. Not she gets a can every birthday. I guess we're in the 4th year of that. Ds6 has gone through the car wash for his last two birthdays - another thing we never normally waste money on, and something that always fascinated him. I'm not sure if he will want to continue that but I kind of hope so - it'll be a funny tradition. When I was a child we were always woken with cake and candles on our birthday. We don't usually do the cake now, but do wake the birthday person up by singing Happy Birthday, have him or her blow out a candle and unwrap family gifts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JudoMom Posted July 20, 2013 Share Posted July 20, 2013 Does your family have any fun birthday traditions? I'm thinking things like the birthday person gets to choose the evening meal, etc. Just looking for something to make birthdays special around here. My 5yo is turning six soon. Birthday boy picks the food for the day: breakfast, lunch, dinner. We pick out fun party plates at the store, and they decide on their cake theme (I decorate cakes for them), or another dessert to hold the candles. School is cancelled. They can either have a family over (I say family instead of "friend" because many of our friends have multiple children and they are all friends with the boys and I'm friends with the mom, though on Tuesday oldest is having a single friend over to hang out for his birthday) or pick a family activity (swimming, going to a movie, roller skating, etc.--something that we don't normally do together since paying for 7 gets kind of pricey). Gifts are wrapped and left on the fireplace to drive the birthday child nuts since we don't open them until afternoon or evening (depending on the plans and when Dad is home). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TammyinTN Posted July 20, 2013 Share Posted July 20, 2013 The birthday person gets to pick where they would like to have dinner. We all have a favorite cupcakery here and we get a dozen of those and some great ice cream and come back from dinner to celebrate and open gifts. If it's one of the kids I cook their favorite breakfast and serve it in bed. :) I love birthdays! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starr Posted July 20, 2013 Share Posted July 20, 2013 Dd12 gets a tin of cream - the type that sprays out. I would never normally buy it, and she would always ask, and talked me into getting it for her birthday one year. Not she gets a can every birthday. I guess we're in the 4th year of that. Ds6 has gone through the car wash for his last two birthdays - another thing we never normally waste money on, and something that always fascinated him. I'm not sure if he will want to continue that but I kind of hope so - it'll be a funny tradition. When I was a child we were always woken with cake and candles on our birthday. We don't usually do the cake now, but do wake the birthday person up by singing Happy Birthday, have him or her blow out a candle and unwrap family gifts. I love the car wash birthday! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eagle Posted July 20, 2013 Share Posted July 20, 2013 Birthday child chooses dinner and the type of cake for me to make. Last year when ds turned 5 he chose grilled steak and steamed dungeoness crab with homemade mini-doughnuts for dessert. He's our little foodie. Each child gets a felt birthday crown made for them when they turn one and they wear it on their birthday every year. Here's ds' crown: http://www.flickr.com/photos/eagleloftk/4299828690/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/eagleloftk/4299827894/in/photostream/ There is no school on birthdays. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momto10blessings Posted July 20, 2013 Share Posted July 20, 2013 Birthday person: Picks out a box of sugary cereal of his choice OR decides what I make for bfast (m&m pancakes) Opens presents in the morning so he can play with them during the day Either has a party or to go somewhere fun and take a friend along (waterpark, baseball game,etc) Plans the dinner menu Picks out what flavor cake and icing he wants and decorates it Oh, and has the day off from chores AND at dinner each family member tells them what they like most about them or what the enjoy doing with them Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dory Posted July 20, 2013 Share Posted July 20, 2013 Birthday person gets to pick out breakfast (at this age my kids usually want a sugary cereal since they don't get them otherwise). The person gets to pick out supper and what type of cake they want. They also get to pick out what chips they want and a movie and pick between floats and milkshakes. We still do school and chores on birthdays. I was taught that while we might celebrate someone joining us in this world, the world doesn't stop just for one person. Adults have to go to work on their birthdays, so it makes sense that the kids still do their work on their birthdays. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rebel Yell Posted July 20, 2013 Share Posted July 20, 2013 The whole family beats the birthday person awake with balloons on their birthday morning and we have cake for breakfast. The birthday person also chooses dinner and doesn't have to do any chores for the entire day. Am I reading this right? You beat them with balloons? :party: :smash: :rofl: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rebel Yell Posted July 20, 2013 Share Posted July 20, 2013 Birthday child picks the menu for breakfast, lunch, & dinner. We always did school on Diamond's birthday- it is usually in the last 2 weeks, and we NEEED to finish. Sweet Child's is sometimes on Thanksgiving break, and BabyBaby's is always on Christmas break. I can only afford 1 kids/friends party each year, so they rotate- getting a party every 3rd year until: 13th, Sweet 16, then high school grad party and we're done paying for parties until the weddings. :svengo: "Family" birthday parties (well, we're down to two widowed grannies... :sad: ) are held on Mother's Day (Diamond), Thanksgiving, (SweetChild) and Christmas-ish dinner. (BabyBaby- not held on actual Christmas day.) Birthday child selects a dessert of choice in addition to the traditional dessert- SweetChild does NOT want a birthday candle stuck in the pumpkin pie. :glare: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AimeeM Posted July 20, 2013 Share Posted July 20, 2013 We always have waffles topped with ice cream for breakfast on birthday weekends. This is a tradition that DH had growing up, and we continued it. It's way too much sugar for one weekend when you include the cake and stuff, but it gets the ice cream out of the house in two days!My husband does the same for our eldest's birthday! Well, he makes an ice cream sandwich between two waffles and then sprinkles it with powdered sugar. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommy22alyns Posted July 20, 2013 Share Posted July 20, 2013 We take a week off around their birthdays (March 21 & 24). Birthday girl gets a banner hung up in the living room, gets to pick an activity, and gets to pick dinner that night. We also have a medal that they like to wear when we're out and about. DH woke Rebecca up on her birthday by busting in and yelling, "HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" at the top of his lungs. He wanted to wake Sylvia up with silly string, but I didn't want it all in her hair. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RocCityMom Posted July 20, 2013 Share Posted July 20, 2013 The night before the birthday child's birthday, I recite this poem with his current age and age-to-be in the morning. When I have brushed my teeth, And my blanket I've gone beneath, And mother switches off the light, I'll still be 5 years old tonight. But from the very break of day, Before the children rise and play, Before the darkness turns to gold, Tomorrow, I'll be 6 years old. 6 kisses when I wake, 6 candles on my cake. A goodnight kiss for the 5 year old To send you to sleep and to dreaming. And blessings on the 6 year old Who'll climb out of bed in the morning. The birthday child wakes and comes downstairs where I have set the table and there is some small toy beside his plate and the plates of his sibs (small dinos from my dino-crazed boy, foam gliders for my aviation-obsessed kiddo, etc.). We eat a birthday-child selected breakfast and the birthday child gets to pick the cake and what we have for dinner. We also have a birthday ring to which a new ornament is added each year -- we got ours at Wooden Wagon online. At dinner, we tell stories of the birthday child's arrival and about the child from the past year, emphasizing areas of growth or things we enjoyed from the year. We're birthday-crazy here! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lara in Colo Posted July 20, 2013 Share Posted July 20, 2013 We only do birthdays on Sunday--- so if it falls during the week, they just get a happy birthday from mom and and a call from dad and grandma. On Sunday: the birthday child gets what ever they want for dinner and I make what ever cake they want-- decorated the best I can. They get one gift. (usually a good one) Then once a year (in the summer) we have family birthday and they invite friends and have a party. This is one of the better things I have done for my children. They spend the year buying presents for each other and thinking about each other. On the party day, they are all together, being special together. My goal is that they get together and do this when they are adults. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maela Posted July 20, 2013 Share Posted July 20, 2013 We throw a "small" family only party. Small meaning there's about 25 of us including kids. Just lunch, cake & ice cream, and opening presents. No games or goodie bags. But (mostly to appease my parents) on the 5th, 10th, and 18th birthdays, we have a bigger party with extended family and friends, games, goodie bags, etc. We've only done this once so far (my oldest is only 6). I don't enjoy it at all, but I'm willing to do it three times in each kids' life. The day of their birthday, the four of us go out and do something fun. The birthday person gets breakfast in bed and gets to pick out where we'll eat. When they're older and have close, long-term friendships, we'll let them bring a friend along. We give them one or two special gifts, but nothing else because they are disgustingly spoiled by grandparents. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mnemosyne Posted July 20, 2013 Share Posted July 20, 2013 We decorate the house and the 'birthday chair' with streamers and balloons and such. When I was a kid, we'd also hide presents around the house during the party and the birthday kid would have to go find them. I'm hoping to continue that tradition. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MedicMom Posted July 20, 2013 Share Posted July 20, 2013 One big party. But they are still tiny and their birthdays are four days apart. This year it was just family and two or three close friends, but it was still over 50 people. My son's first birthday we had 150 people over to the house, because DH felt the need to keep inviting everyone he knew/saw/ran into. Fortunately it is a large house and yard, and my mom was willing to keep running to Walmart for more food... We don't buy a lot of presents. Mostly because there is nothing my kids could possibly want or need that they don't already have, and partly because they are ridiculously spoiled by the four grandparents, eight aunts, and numerous great grandparents that they have... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bookfiend Posted July 21, 2013 Share Posted July 21, 2013 I decorate a special birthday table that they wake up to in the morning, good china/silver, special birthday plate, flowers/candles, confetti and candies sprinkled on the table. Breakfast is always Cinnabon, which I dislike, but they LOVE. Dinner is their request and includes only immediate family + Grandparents. The presents are wrapped and waiting, but not opened until after dinner. We have a musical cake plate that turns and plays the birthday song while we sing. Our best tradition is that every year each child receives a new set of responsibilities and privileges. Five year old was the start of allowance and teaching about $$/savings. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dustybug Posted July 21, 2013 Share Posted July 21, 2013 We don't do birthday parties. Instead, we do "family adventure days" where the birthday child chooses our location and a restaurant to eat out at. We have visited children's museums, nature centers, transportation museums and more. We spend the entire day out as a family and just have fun together. Then we come home and do ice cream and cake. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QueenCat Posted July 21, 2013 Share Posted July 21, 2013 Everyone (adults & kids) chooses the meals for the day. Breakfast is at home, lunch might be at home. Dinner is at the restaurant of their choice. Gifts are given when we get home from dinner. After gifts is dessert, of choice by birthday person. Children have parties up until around 12-13. After that, it is a special activity with 2-3 friends, along with our family (Dave & Busters, water park, a play, etc). Once they graduate high school, it is generally a family activity rather than with friends. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Incognito Posted July 21, 2013 Share Posted July 21, 2013 Lots of fun ideas. Our birthday child chooses what kind of cake they want, and decorates it themself (or directs the decorating, if they want things written/drawn and are not capable). We have had a few very candy-coated cakes that way. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mumto2 Posted July 21, 2013 Share Posted July 21, 2013 Birthday's at our house are a two day affair. We celebrate the last day of being.......with a special fun activity. Could be a take away meal or a trip to a favorite place like a zoo that we have a pass to. Something nice but not overly unique. The actual day can vary alot. They have baked their own cakes for years so we have to be home part of the day! :lol: They love that part and get quite uptight if we don't put baking time in the itinerary. Another great idea of dh's is they each have a birthday book with a picture of them each year on their birthday. One picture,usually with their cake, really says it all! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skeeterbug Posted July 21, 2013 Author Share Posted July 21, 2013 Thanks for sharing, everyone. So fun to read what other families do! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScoutTN Posted July 22, 2013 Share Posted July 22, 2013 Birthday pancakes for breakfast! The birthday kid does get to choose the evening meal. So far they've always picked easy things. DD wanted cheesecake last year instead of cake cake. We have a funny birthday card with a gnome on/in it who sings a funny birthday song and it is now our family birthday song, in lieu of the traditional one. We keep the gnome card in the drawer with the birthday candles. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lovinmomma Posted July 22, 2013 Share Posted July 22, 2013 Thanks for sharing, everyone. So fun to read what other families do! I agree! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BakersDozen Posted July 22, 2013 Share Posted July 22, 2013 One of our littles turned 3 today and it was a really special day. The birthday child always wakes up to a helium-filled balloon and donuts (a huge treat). They get about 4-5 presents that are found throughout the day. For example, my ds opened two plastic trash bins (toy-sized) and when told he really needed a trash truck for them he ran to his closet to get the small truck he has. His eyes about popped out of his head when he saw an ENORMOUS new trash truck! At book time he found a wrapped book, and just now he climbed into his bed and found a HUGE stuffed whale from Sea World (brand new, tags on, $3 at the resale store!). Our kids never know when another gift will show up and that makes things super fun. My dh always makes a fun shaped cake (ds got a monster truck) that is not revealed until the candles are being lit. Our older dc often invite a friend over for the evening. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlmiraGulch Posted July 22, 2013 Share Posted July 22, 2013 Am I reading this right? You beat them with balloons? :party: :smash: :rofl: Yep! It's fun! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaz Posted July 22, 2013 Share Posted July 22, 2013 My favorite birthday tradition is the night before when we tuck them into bed we say, "Good night _____ year old girl/boy." When they wake up, we give them a big hug and say Good morning _____ year old girl/boy." They love it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angie in VA Posted July 23, 2013 Share Posted July 23, 2013 I just edited #5 to add a photo of the birthday curtain. I turn in towards the child's bedroom. I just switched it for this photo so you could see it better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MicheleinMN Posted July 23, 2013 Share Posted July 23, 2013 No school! The birthday person chooses dinner, cake or another treat and ice cream, and then he/she can either pick a gift of up to about $50 or to go do something as a family, which always costs us more than $50. (We had birthdays on Saturday and Sunday of last weekend. We have another coming up on this next Sunday, and then one more on the following Saturday. And then it will be August and football practice and school will start up again. Where did my summer go?) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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