It’s me again. The advocate for all holiday-baby-mamas everywhere! Keep in mind friends, whether your baby is competing with Santa Claus, trick-or-treaters, Black Friday deals, reservations at restaurants on Valentine’s day, or fireworks; there are a few simple ways to make their birthday a special one. Join me for three practical suggestions from this mama, because well, this is my life!
#1 KISS (aka. Keep It Simple Stupid) – Yes. The infamous phrase my 7th grade English teacher ingrained in our heads. I have tried to remind myself of this mantra my entire life, and until my holiday babies, have failed horribly. Kids are kids are kids. When they are tiny tots and toddlers, they know no different. You could go crazy at a local birthday party venue , or you could keep it simple in your home. Either way, eliminate some stress in your life and do whatever is easy for you. Because sanity matters. Now, as kiddos get older (my eldest is turning 5 in a few weeks and has her agenda set), this KISS mantra may become less simple, but embrace it as that season rolls around. Until then, make their birthday about THEIR BIRTHDAY, and not about the holiday. For myself, with in essence a Christmas baby AND a New Years Day baby, we do everything in our power to seperate Christmas celebrations from birthday celebrations. NEVER do they receive an infamous ‘combination gift’ from us, and if we need to celebrate at the tail end of a Christmas gathering (because we have between 5 and 6 Christmas gatherings during December. No. I am not kidding), we do a quick cupcake-pink streamers-party hats “switchover” after Christmas celebrations are over, and turn on the birthday mode. Keep it simple stupid. Enough said.
#3 Be flexible in your party date – piggy backing off of the above suggestion, calls for this suggestion. Flexibility is everything, and many times, your friends and family will thank you (and maybe even your kiddos). Pending the birthday-date, celebrating on the holiday itself may not be the best idea if you are hoping for multiple relatives and friends to attend. With long weekends, extended family members juggling for time spent together, and folks traveling, celebrating your kiddos July 4th, December 24th, and February 14th birthdays, on their actual days, may just not be in the cards. Think outside the box. Considering celebrating a 1/2 “friends” birthday for your Christmas baby. This means a summer play date at the splash pad with pizza and bathing suits. What about waiting a week or two AFTER the holiday itself, and then having a party for your kiddo. Have a few mama-friends whose kids all have birthdays around the same insane-time of year? Consider doing a joint party, with mutual friends, perhaps at a favorite location where the cost can be split between families. Have a huge party list? Think about hosting a family party on one day, and then a friends party on another. We did this last year and it worked out wonderfully!
#3 Use the holiday to your advantage – That’s right. While somewhat opposite of what I stated above, that’s the added glory of a holiday baby, you have UBER flexibility! So, go ahead, plan that 4th of July cookout, with all of your nearest and dearest plus your kiddos pals, & enjoy birthday cake for dessert (along with fireworks). Host a family friendly New Years Eve gathering, and at midnight sing Happy Birthday while popping balloons and throwing confetti like crazy people. Have a younger kiddo? Hold a “Noon” Years Eve party, complete with sparkling juice, appetizers, New Years Hats, and when the clock strikes “noon” you go bazerk. Hello. How much fun would that be? Invite your little ladies’ girlfriends over for a Valentine’s Day tea party, complete with heart themed cupcakes and cupids hanging from the ceiling. Embrace all things green, red, silver, gold, and glitter; and enjoy your Christmas baby’s birthday while all of your family is in town (because what other time of the year does that happen). Invite all of your kiddos friends over for a pre-trick-or-treat “goulish” themed dinner, followed by the traditional door to door venture.
While we are trying so hard to separate holiday from birthday, so as NOT to have our children become somewhat defined by their ‘holi-birthday’, it’s surely ok to just run with it sometimes. Go ahead, embrace all things holiday mama! I know I have. Shop the pre and post holiday sales (because they exist all year long). Decorate with the color schemes of the specific holiday, or simply utilize items you would find on sale (ie. sparklers / July 4. Browns and golds / Thanksgiving. etc) . I LOVE that both my girls automatically are surrounded by glitter and glitz and sparkle on their special days. That a new year for my daughter, also represents a new year for everyone. That my littlest celebrates her birthday at the same time of the year so many of us celebrate the birth of our Savior.
Now, don’t get me wrong, when Amazon vomits an entire year’s worth of toys and shenanigans all over my house in the time span of 5 days, it can cause me a tad bit of anxiety, but nothing some strong espresso and an episode of Sister Wives can’t fix. Embrace it mamas, don’t let the world tell you “oh man, your poor daughter/son, that must stink!” We set the stage. We start new traditions. We make our kiddos fell special. We define what we are celebrating. We give it what we got.
And in the end, regardless of how we celebrated, all that matters is that our little is 1 year older.
