My birthday had arrived.
It required planning and effort- very little money- but it made me feel loved and very special. My parents could've blown it off, as my birthday is soon after Christmas, but they didn't. They were- and still are- extremely awesome parents.
(creating bath salts at home during a birthday party Inexpensive and really fun!)
My question is: Are birthday parties becoming extinct? Are they passé? In the days of Pinterest and blogs, which inspire us to create, are people just too busy/lazy to plan celebrations?
I hear, quite often, that parties are just too expensive. "We don't have the money."
(autograph books quickly put together for a party)
Now I'm not trying to judge here. At. all. My husband never had a birthday party growing up and he turned out better than fine. His sister did have parties, though. Hmmmm. My kindergarten crush never celebrated his birthday but he was a Jehovah Witness. At the time, I thought it was the saddest thing I'd ever heard.
(signing autographs in homemade books)
I've hosted all sorts of birthday parties for my girls. (Keep in mind that I'm an introvert by nature, so parties tend to stress me out.) Mystery parties, Chuck E. Cheese, make-over parties, scavenger hunts, movies, etc. Some events involved more money than others. Truth be told...
the cheapest parties were the most fun!
(scavenger hunt)
Making invitations, creating goodie bags, etc. are all part of the merry making. Watching giggly girls celebrating together is such a joy- even for a mom that would rather be taking pictures behind the scenes instead of running the show.
I do it out of love.
(Spa Day Party, which can easily be done at home)
Perhaps it's not cool to have a birthday party anymore, but I hope that's not the case.
Making your child feel special doesn't have to be expensive. In fact, it can be free- as well as fun- if you get creative and plan a little. Here's a few ideas:
1)Make your own cupcakes! (rainbow cake in a jar is wonderful- below)
2) Makeovers at home that lead to a photo shoot! (Create your own photo props- shown above- My 10 year old made most of them herself!)
3) Host a scavenger hunt! It costs nothing! (great ideas online)
4) Party at a park!- FREE! Everyone can come- even siblings! Bring cupcakes, if you like.
When I was 4 years old my parents took me to Farrell's, a popular ice cream parlor, for my birthday. They ordered some kind of ice cream monstrosity that required singing, noisemakers and all the attention was on ME. Remember how I told you I was an introvert?
As the story goes, I slowly slid all the way under the table. No amount of ice cream was worth the spotlight being on me. I guess you just have to recognize how your child would enjoy being celebrated. If parties aren't where it's at, maybe one-on-one time with a friend or a parent is the ticket.
Years later, they may not remember what you did but they'll remember how you made them feel.:)
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6 comments:
My brother and I had parties when we were young, but the older we got the less we wanted parties with other kids and the more we just wanted a family night out.
At this point in my life I kind of hope parties go extinct. I'm an extreme introvert as well, so the thought of having or hosting a party or even going to one stresses me.
But we'll see what happens when I have kids. Mother's do more for their kids than they would for themselves. :D
I adore birthday parties for my sweet girl! I always had a little party and was embarrassed the whole time..ahhh. lol.
T-A on the otherhand has open houses..which are just as fun :)
This post brought back a flood of memories - the surprise of a doll that I'd wanted, a beautiful cake with red roses, playing Elvis records on my new record player, the neighbor boy who mixed a few different sodas together, all the fun to have a birthday party in my little childhood home. Such bounty. I still have the doll; actually I have almost all my childhood dolls. I still love Elvis but not as much as Rick Nelson. That funny neighborhood boy went to be with the Lord a few years ago, and I know I'll see him again. Someone else lives in that little house; I've seen pictures of it on Zillow. What happiness. Keep having those special parties. Your family will long remember them!
My little grandchildren go to birthday parties and they vary. Some parties are at homes with games and pizza. Some are at gyms or art shops. You sounds like you have a lot of zest for the sweet parts of life, those that celebrate people. Yay!
Hi Lori, I hope birthday parties don't become totally extinct. That would be so sad. Jessica had a mix of parties at home (Arty Party, Princess Party) and activity parties (Ice sliding, tobogganing) and she loved them all. For me it was always parties at home up to the age of 9 or 10. I always remember my mum would take a holiday day from work so she could get everything ready. I always felt extra special on that day because I was allowed to come home from school for my lunch. The house always smelt like a party with jelly (jello) setting and egg sandwiches all ready for later. I loved the party games we had, pass the parcel was always a favourite. Lindsay x
You are creating wonderful memories for your children. As an introvert, too, those parties wore me out, but they were well worth the time and effort. You're right, it doesn't have to cost a lot.
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