Di, at Pensitivity101, is our host for Share Your World each week. Here are her SYW questions for this week.
1. Children aside, do you celebrate your birthday/anniversary or is it just a normal day for you?
I’d say somewhere in between. We try to acknowledge that birthdays and anniversaries are not just normal days by doing something special that we know the other person would enjoy. But we don’t go overboard. My answer is “normal-plus.”
2. Do/did you always give your child a birthday party when they were young?
Yes, of course. But compared to what some parents are doing these days, the parties we gave for our kids were relatively modest.
3. If your child was born on Christmas Day (or a few days either side of the 25th), did they have a ‘half birthday’ in June, two presents/celebrations, or something else?
Not applicable to my family. Our kids were born in July and March. But our son-in-law was born on December 31. I don’t know what his parents did.
4. Would you prefer to give your child a party, or take them and a few friends on a special outing?
When our kids were still little kids, we most often did the party thing, but as they got older, we tended to do more of the special outing thing.
Gratitude
I’m grateful that we are grandparents now and that most of what you asked about herein is behind us. Now that our children have their own kids, these are their matters to handle and my wife and I are just along for the ride.
This, That, and the Other 
So lovely to be a grandparent! All the joy, none of the work! 🩷💙💙
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Exactly!
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The parents nowadays do themed parties for birthdays. It would have been beyond me even at a younger age
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I think some of this stuff has gotten way out of hand. It’s fun to celebrate, but trying to make it compete with Christmas is a bit much.
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Yes it has. People do spend so much effort and money on these parties
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And so many kids don’t even enjoy them.
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Yes, it can end in tears too.
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Bad parties are shy kids’ nightmare. Especially when they aren’t popular at school.
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Very true.
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Being a grandparent is just so much more relaxing. My first two grandchildren were born when I was still in my forties, and I was very involved in raising them. I could not do it now!
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Bet you enjoy the memories though Fandango. Thanks for joining in this week. I enjoyed your answers.
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Yes, I do enjoy the memories.
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🙂
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Someone once wrote that had they realised what fun grandchildren could be, they would have had them first!
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My birthday is on December 30 — until I was 12 or so, my parents always made sure to have a party and gifts for me on my birthday (and one gift for my sister, too). After that time, parties might be on my birthday or within a month or two — a beach party, a theater party, etc.
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I have a (now-grown) child who was born in mid January. This is plenty of separation in time from the holidays of November and December. I’m glad I didn’t have to think through how to give him a special day or time within all the cultural festivities. I did, however, have to make sure he got full share (amongst his brothers) of presents during the holiday season and then something delightful for his birthday as well (as if his birthday was not right up against our having spent a bunch of money recently). There was no burden to it, just fun.
I worded this as I “had” to or needed to when it was that I wanted to. And it was mainly only I; their dad wasn’t so into it. Once-in-a-while, we’d hear of a family doing a noisier thing for their child at a birthday, but not often. Presents, by contrast, weren’t really a thing for holidays (for example) after about my age of nine (before my cousins and aunt moved in with us… which is something I sorted out today). We did always have cake for my birthday. My grandparents were the cliche who gave me a modest (but not cheap) amount of money.
The mid January birthday sometimes coincides with a Martin Luther king Jr. Weekend, which has been nice for a brief ski event or something. My significant other has his birthday around (but not on) the 14th of February. We don’t make a thing of that day, but we do take into consideration the paired-down menus (minus) at restaurants or special offerings (plus) to try a place. Meanwhile, he’s so into his birthday that he celebrates all month long with coupons and deals from here and there besides specific requests to be fulfill by the kids.
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My son is 54 and my granddaughter is approaching 27. I try to make the day as special as I can, assuming the person is available. It’s weird having a granddaughter heading towards 30!
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My oldest grandchild is heading toward 3. Next week, actually. But I married relatively late (32), my son even later (37). My daughter is childless.
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Our granddaughter shows NO signs of wanted to be married or start a family. I think she has never shown any interest in either. She got proposed to a couple of times, but she said no thanks and moved on.
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