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Saturday *thunderstormsareaweaome* Coffee Talk!
  • [Deleted User]
    Posts: 1,551
    Gooooood morning ladies. My weekends look pretty much exactly like my week days thanks to DHs work schedule. Meh.

    So join me for a cuppa whatever you want..it's raaaaaaining here this AM.


    Topic on the coffee table: Birthday Parties! (inspired by @crazymomof2two)

    Question on the table: What kind of birthday parties do you through your kid(s)!? Are they big deals or just small gathers? At what age will you no longer do parties?
  • PurpleFlowersPurpleFlowers
    Posts: 5,622Member
    Good morning. Made some iced coffee this morning. We only had a few parties for my kids when they were younger. It was a few friends and family, nothing extravagant ever. All we do now is some cake and ice cream for the family.
    Stay away from my chocolate and nobody gets hurt!

    I think I like who I am becoming...
  • mamaofboysmamaofboys
    Posts: 390Member
    Good Morning! I wish it was raining here today - still too humid for me and one more t-ball game to go to this morning.
    For my 2 DS (5 & 2) we have thrown family and close friend parties which usually ends up to be about 12 kids. I did big parties for their 1st b-days and a bigger one for the 5th as well. I think o will stop around 10 and maybe let DS decide on something special to do instead.
    Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery and today is a gift; that's why they call it the present.
  • pdxmama
    Posts: 1,470Member
    Morning Ladies. My kids are still little, 4 and 7, so we do parties for every bday. But, nothing over the top or anything. Just at our house, family, 5-10 friends, cake & ice cream and usually pizza. Sometimes a piñata, and I always do little party bags for the kids.
  • chaosmomchaosmom
    Posts: 3,846Member
    Good morning. I've been up way too long already.

    We do small (~10 people) family gatherings for all the kids bdays. Cake, cupcakes, ice cream, pizza, burgers...depends on what the kid wants. We do a joint party for ds3 & ds4 since their birthdays are only a week apart. My FIL has his own traditions...family dinner for SO, SIL & my bdays (2 on the same day, mine is 11 days later); buys the whole family tickets to the state fair for ds13's bday; family dinner for his bday/Mother's Day. He will figure something out for the other 3 kids as they get older.
  • BirdieBirdie
    Posts: 1,751Member
    I am in the process of putting together dd's 9th bday party. She wants a sundae bar and a slip n slide. Thanks to pinterest I've got it covered! We do small family gatherings. Just cousins coming to play really!
    I enjoy it and don't spend alot so I'm not sure what age I will stop.
    Ds is 2. We normally just have cake new years day with everyone who came over for new years eve. I'm sure when he gets a little older I'll figure something else to do.

    SMSM_s_5

  • shadylaneshadylane
    Posts: 3,037Member
    I love the rain! I wouldn't mind if it rained every day. Thunderstorms even better, so relaxing. Jae will only be turning 3 in august so I haven't yet had the pleasure of having kid parties. We just have family cookouts, nothing too fancy but I try to have a theme, last year was hello kitty but I didn't go all out with it just some decorations and balloons and the cake. Some wildflowers and cheap candles for the tables and christmas lights around the deck and it looks so nice in the evening time. We have such a big family though that its a pretty big undertaking just to have a cookout. This is the first year she will really be into the whole birthday thing so I guess I'll have to invite her little friends from daycare. That means games and party favors and all that, plus we'll still have family so I guess I'm looking at a big deal this year. Blah nothing but a pain in mama's ass. But I will never spend hundreds on fancy birthday parties like some people do, no kid needs that. It should be enough to have the people that love them and some homecooked food and cake. I don't even like it when my family gets her too much stuff, its just not necessary she doesn't need it, there's no room for it and she's already spoiled enough. I don't want to end up with an entitled brat. I wouldn't mind if they didn't get her anything, their presence is all that matters.
    ~slim shady~
  • irishlassirishlass
    Posts: 6,726Member
    I like birthday parties! For his first and second I did a party at my tiny house in the back garden. It worked well but I know a lot of kids benjis age so for his 3rd I decided to do a 'teddy bears picnic' at the park. It was awesome!
    I like simple parties and I will let benji have a party always!
    Some of my best parties were when I was older. One year my dad took 2 friends and I to the aquarium and for endless treats! That was a party to me!
    Oh and mostly the party is the gift. This year I wasn't able to get benji a present but he loved his party so much!
    "Be who you are and say what you feel. Because those who matter don't mind and those who mind don't matter." - Dr. Seuss
  • OpheliaOphelia
    Posts: 3,316Member
    Good morning! I just woke up, no coffee for me yet cause I'm not home.

    Only big party was her first birthday, now we have a small gathering at my dad's pizza shop. Just pizza, cake and ice cream.
    Nothing left to do but smile, smile, smile.. -Grateful Dead<3
  • OpheliaOphelia
    Posts: 3,316Member
    Forgot about the rest of the question.. I will let her have a party til she doesn't want to.
    Nothing left to do but smile, smile, smile.. -Grateful Dead<3
  • MarySunshineMarySunshine
    Posts: 5,422Member
    We've only had two parties since DS is 2. They were both just family parties...but with our family it's never "small". His first birthday party we had 21 people over...all immediate family. DS's second birthday party we had 22 all immediate.

    We'll probably do "kid" parties when he gets to school and starts to make friends. We'll probably just do a liitle family get together (us & grandparents most likely), let him pick what he wants fir dinner and have cake/ice cream cake...

    Both beasties can have parties as long as they want, but once they hit "working years" they can chip in...
    I'm as sexy as a burp mid-kiss. Watch out!

  • GingersnapGingersnap
    Posts: 7,286Member
    We have a small family party (only those that live close, so right now 14 total) and maybe a small party with friends (under ten friends). 

    I say *maybe* a small party because 4 out of 5 people don't seem able to RSVP nowadays, even if you give them a number to call, text, or leave a message. Also, even after they've been tracked down and say they are coming, they might not show up and they won't call to cancel plans or call later to apologize for not showing. 

    So, when faced with that boondoggle, we didn't have a party with friends. I don't know how I would explain to my son with moderate autism that his friends "forgot" about his party. Can you imagine? All the decorations are up, he's all excited and nobody comes? That almost happened last year. Thankfully, 2 kids showed up.

    Please remember to RSVP (and follow-through)
    image
  • FoulMouthedSailorFoulMouthedSailor
    Posts: 1,893Member
    I've never really understood the massive birthday parties, having 20 plus people. We always do small parties, just the three of us, maybe a friend or two of hers from school, and if possible some times the family comes. Both of my brothers are stationed relatively close so they try to make it, and vice versa.

    And for the age, I'm not sure.
    You show the lights that stop me turn to stone, You shine it when I'm alone. And so I tell myself that I'll be strong
    And dreaming when they're gone.
  • momofdbbmomofdbb
    Posts: 9,064Member
    When I was a kid all birthday parties were at my grandmothers house . The whole family showed up and you shared parties with whoever was also born in that month. We did that on both sides so two parties. I shared with a cousin on both sides and my grandfather on one. 16 was the cut off year for birthdays and Chistmas gifts from the aunts.
    When my cousins started having kids they continued this tradition. Now I lived next door to my grandmother till I got married. I could see how much stress planning ( yes she had to do every party the cousins never helped, they just showed up! ) and doing it was taking on her. We had our DSs first party at her house , but we made her sit down and we did it all. That still stressed her out. So the next year for his second we planed his party and held it at our church. They rent out a room in Recreation Center. The kids could play on the playground or the basketball court. It was a simple party. The cousins hatted it. After we proved that a party could be held at a separate venue and still be " cheep" ( the church doesn't charge members as long as we clean up after ourselves ) Grandmom closed the party tradition . No more monthly parties. She just couldn't take the stress , and she actually enjoyed herself at DSs party , not having to worry about anything. The kids cousins have never had a birthday party their patents refuse to throw them one that is not at Grandmoms. I feel bad for them , but not my fault. Right ?
    " Wibbly wobbly timey wimey ......." The Doctor
    " I'm a leafe on the wind..watch how I soar ." Wash :((
    " Oh the wall had it comming.' Sherlock Holmes
    yea I am geek !!
  • MegsueMegsue
    Posts: 1,848Member
    Good morning!! My DS3 has his birthday party at the same pizza place every year. I make the cake, buy a tub of ice cream and other than that I buy my pizza. Usually costs me $30 total including the $15 room charge. Flipping awesome to not have to cook, do dishes, and clean up after the fact! It's usually a big crowd though since DH and I both have huge families. We only invite family and a couple of close friends of ours who's kids play w/ DS regularly. Once he starts school, I'll leave it up to him which friends get invited. And I have no idea as to a cutoff yet, guess we'll play that one by ear.
  • GisleyandHank
    Posts: 300Member

    I love doing big birthday parties for my kids. I make cakes so I always do something extravagent and over-the-top cake-wise. I don't do big parties for first birthdays, though. They don't have friends and they're too little to care so we do something small at home with family. This will be the first year we do a party somewhere besides at home, but I'm tired of the work and clean-up so I thought I'd let someone else deal with it. Especially because we just moved and my kids' birthdays are 21 days apart (I must have THE MOST REGULAR ovulation cycle!). Last year I did something pretty low-key since I was 9 months pregnant, we had a homemade sheet cake and blew up the pool and I did it completely outside so I didn't need to clean house.


    However, I love the idea of only doing parties up to 10 years. Older kids are more self-entertaining and want more expensive gifts and I think it makes more sense to spend less energy and money on a party.

  • ButterflyButterfly
    Posts: 80Member

    I'm keeping them small and family-oriented (around the kitchen table) until DS (now 5) asks for one.  So far, so good!  Any invitations we've received (and there were only 2 in Kindergarten), we've simply turned down.  He doesn't seem to mind, and I'd rather manage his behavior at home than be yelling at him in Chuck E Cheese.  Once he bonds with a friend or two at school (talks about them at home), we'll consider inviting a couple of friends over to celebrate, and let their parents stay at home or come along.

    DS5 doesn't like cake, so whatever sweet treat he wants, he gets; then I make a cake or pie for the adults.  One year, he asked for a cinnamon muffin.  It held 4 candles, so he was happy! :-)

    When he gets older, I'll offer to take him and a couple friends out to a movie, or rent a game system for them.  It will depend on what he wants, and what we're willing to provide. :-)

  • ZidashaZidasha
    Posts: 830Member
    I actually just had Ds7 birthday party today at Pow Science.  Lego themed.  He has always had a birthday party and I will admit his first and second birthday's I went WAY over board but I'm the type of mother that thinks everything has to match and you have to have tons of food for the guests.  I've calmed down a lot the past few years but it's pretty much what he wants within reason.

    Ds2 (soon to be 3 next month) has not really experienced a birthday party.  I love him just as much but I've learned from my first that that first few birthdays are more for the adults than the kids so I don't really make a big deal about it.  I think it was 5 months after his actual birthday that I threw him a very small 1st birthday part, his 2nd was shared with his brother via cook out cause they went away with their father for the summer and I'm not sure if they will be going again this summer but I do plan on just doing a cook out in the back yard.  Nothing big.

    As far as when to stop having birthday parties, I think when they let you know.  I will continue to ask them every year what they want to do for their birthday and if it's within reason I will try my best to make it happen.
    "I have a theory that placenta is brain matter I push out, so with each child I get dumber and dumber." ~ Unknown

  • deviltwinsmommadeviltwinsmomma
    Posts: 2,293Member
    We have bday parties anywhere they do the preparations and clean up like museums, pizza joints, movie theaters. I might sound selfish but I wanna enjoy my babies bday too, and not running around with a chicken with its head cut off. I get frazzled easily. Lol
    my mother used to sing me a song. It went like this: "Life is short, life is shit, and soon it will be over.
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