What do you do on your kids actual birthday?

[lovinmyboys]

This year we are giving my ds(almost)12 two experiences for his 12th birthday. He already did one and one is scheduled for next week. He was supposed to have two baseball games on his actual birthday, but now it looks like it is going to rain all day. If it weren’t his birthday we would probably catch up on housework, errands, and school. I feel weird doing that on his birthday, but I also don’t think he needs a whole day of celebration when he is already getting that from his experience gifts. How do you handle the actual birthday?

[Selkie]

Birthdays are just a normal day in our house, other than the birthday boy/girl opening presents in the morning and choosing a special birthday dinner.

[Rachel]

We do donuts for breakfast and birthday kid’s choice for supper. The rest of the day is a normal day. 

[Tsuga]

You always get your choice of dinner. Parties are frequently another day.

[SKL]

Well usually if we're home on a birthday my kids have (b&m) school.  So we get up a little early and do cake and presents for breakfast, and if they planned in advance, they can take a treat to share at school.  Afterwards they get to choose where to eat dinner and we will do a quick fun thing if it fits in the evening schedule.  Otherwise just their usual extracurriculars and homework plus dinner out.

When I was a kid, again our birthdays were usually b&m school days, but we would have a special dinner, cake, and gifts in the evening.  Plus, the tradition was that we got an extra week's allowance and our siblings had to do all our chores for that day.  We never did "experiences" for birthdays, but even if we had, there probably would have been some small gift to open on the day.

[SKL]

Actually in my family, the 12th birthday is a rite of passage for the girls.  For mine, it was the first time my parents took me (just me) to a fancy restaurant.  It was a Hungarian restaurant that had a violinist who would play requests, and since I was learning to play the violin, this was extra special to me.  Also 12 was the birthday when I got my ears pierced.

My kid's about to turn 12 this fall.  Somehow she managed to convince me that she's getting an iphone for her 12th birthday, in addition to having her ears pierced.  She also thinks she's getting a dog, though that is probably going to happen a bit later if at all.  Mostly she wants to sit in the front seat when I drive her around.  The state keeps changing the guideline though - now they are saying 13yo.  My kid is not buying it.

[AmandaVT]

Special dinner, usually. This year, his birthday fell on doughnut day at our favorite coffee shop, so he had birthday doughnuts in the morning and then we went out for dinner that night. 

[ScoutTN]

Always: They get to choose the breakfast. If there are tangible presents, we do those at breakfast too. Sometimes we have a special dinner at home. Dh's family usually has a celebration dinner for all the birthdays and a holiday in that month. 

Both of mine have summer birthdays and we live on a tight budget, so sometimes the birthday gift is getting to go to camp. Parties with friends don't happen every year and tend to be simple. Cake and punch at our house, kickball and popsicles at the park, or swimming and ice cream sandwiches at the pool.  

This year, Dd will be 13 and that is a big one, so she is getting to redecorate her room. Paint, new comforter/quilt, new curtains, different dresser,  and some putting away (not throwing away) of little girl things. 

Ds will be 11 and is is getting a (secondhand) bike.

Dd's birthday is almost always during VBS, so everyone sings "Happy Birthday" to her. Ds is usually at swim practice or a meet, so he gets thrown into the pool! 

 

[Kassia]

I always put up balloons and signs in the morning before the birthday person is up.  Then it's mostly a normal day, but I will do their chores or whatever for them and try to make the day special and easy.  They choose the birthday dinner and dessert, and we usually do gifts at night.

 

 

[Alice]

We always take the day off if it’s a school day. I take off from work if it’s a day I normally work. Birthday kid picks meals. I don’t necessarily not do housework or things I need to do but the kids get a day off. Generally we would end up playing some games, going for a walk or bike ride, reading. Depending on the kid they would do things they like around the house. My thought has always been that it’s a benefit of homeschooling to get a day off on your birthday.

They also typically have some kind of party or outing on another day. 

 

[Guest]

We almost always have whatever the child wants for his or her birthday dinner on the actual day, plus a cake or dessert he or she requests. But we have never treated it as though all other work and needs must stop for the whole day, plus a party on the weekend or whatever. 

We are celebrating DD’s 21st birthday dinner tonight because she was out of the country on her actual birthday. 

[Ali in OR]

Birthday person (includes dh and me on our birthdays) picks where we go out to eat. We come home after for presents and cake and ice cream. That's about it. We might get out that person's scrapbook/photo album from when they were a baby and look through it.

[Jaybee]

It's pretty low key. Birthday person tells me what kind of cake/pie/cookie they want, and what they want for dinner. I make those. Sometime during the day, birthday person opens gifts. If we are living near the older siblings, they may come for dinner and/or cake as well. If not, it is usually just us, or maybe family friends come over too. We don't really do parties. It varies. When older kids were home, they didn't have to do school that day. The ones still at home have birthdays over summer and Christmas holidays.

ETA: We also have ice cream, and candles on the cake, and usually special paper plates and napkins for the cake part. Dinner request is most often chicken and dumplings. Cake requests vary.