Should You Have A Birthday Party For Your Kid Every Year?
by Ann Mifsud
Most young kids enjoy counting down the months, weeks, days to their birthday. They love telling people they meet, sometimes even nice strangers in an elevator, that they’re going to be a year older… And that they’re having a birthday party!
You don’t have to go all out and have an expensive birthday party for your kid every year. You may decide to leave that only for particular years. Whatever you do, however, celebrate your kid’s birthday every year!
Having a small gathering, even if it’s the immediate family and maybe a couple of close friends, could be a crowd that’s big enough.
Your kid’s birthday matters significantly. It’s a time of great excitement! Most kids like being fussed over and made to feel special. Birthday parties satisfy that need. So, if you are thinking of skipping celebrating your kid’s birthday with a party this year, here’s why you should reconsider your decision.
1. Why should you have a birthday party for your kid every year?
Life can get pretty hectic for all. As parents, we all know it’s easy to find ourselves going through the months on auto-mode and before we know it, a year would have elapsed!
So, we need to consciously take decisions to regularly stop, take stock and cherish the beautiful moments with our little ones as much as we can, lest they slip through our fingers unknowingly.
Celebrating your kid’s birthday with a party every year is one way that helps create positive memories. A kid’s birthday party brings family and friends together. It contributes to establishing social relationships and helps raise self esteem.
Throwing a party for your kid opens up a myriad of opportunities for learning. Kids learn how to receive gifts, what to tell people if they open a gift and they don’t like it, or if they don’t get a gift at all. They learn how to be grateful, how to play games and activities in a group, how to “share” their house if it’s happening at home, how to appreciate people turning up to celebrate with them and how to be the centre of attention without blowing their ego.
Related topic…
Should Kids Open Gifts At A Birthday Party?
Sometimes, parents wonder what the right etiquette is on whether their kids should open gifts at their birthday party or opt to open them later. What is expected and what is rude?
As a parent, you too stand to gain. Celebrating your kid’s birthday with a party every year helps you come to the realization that your kids are growing and serves as a reminder that before you know it, they’ll leave the nest.
So now is the perfect time to enjoy them! It is a golden opportunity to build great memories, making their childhood special.
2. The importance of celebrating your kid’s birthdays
I like how Psychologist Jacqueline Woolley brilliantly concludes her article The All Important Birthday Party in Psychology Today…
“If, to a 4-year-old, the purpose of the birthday party is to make him or her 5, then whether you simply stay and home and eat cake or arrange a safari to Africa, it makes no difference. It’s the party that counts. Which is how it should be anyway.”
Even though young kids may not fully understand what is happening or grasp what to be a year older means, still every opportunity is an occasion for learning.
Young kids tend to take everything literally. One thing they learn as they grow is the concept of time. When little, they struggle with understanding time, so much so, that if you decide to throw them a party a week after their birthday, they may think they are actually growing up by another year 🙂
But rather than dismissing the idea of a birthday party altogether, take this as an opportunity to explain to your budding young one that it is true that only one particular day a year is tied to when a person is born.
On top of that when we celebrate a person’s birthday, we won’t just be celebrating that day; rather we celebrate everything about that person.
With little ones you would need to mention very practical things they can relate to and understand, in order for them to grasp this concept of time. Take time to go through any achievements carefully, no matter how small or insignificant they may look.
In their early years, kids go through lots of milestones. Acknowledge and explain that when we celebrate their birthday, we are congratulating them on learning new words, counting numbers, singing new nursery rhymes, learning how to draw, recognizing colors, being toilet trained, running, growing taller, becoming an older sibling, knowing the colors of the rainbow in order, adding or multiplying, starting a new sport, making new friends, getting through another year of school, having their first grown-up teeth…the list of achievements is endless!
3. Don’t just mark the milestones!
It doesn’t have to be your kid’s first birthday, starting school, having a first double digit birthday or becoming a teen for you to throw them a birthday party. Of course, these are all important milestones.
But, when we carefully think about it, every year many mini-milestones are reached by our kids. As parents, we just need to be open to see them, to help our kids foster the value of gratitude, which is so pertinent to a healthy and successful life.
Every year is a gift whatever the age. Actually, even seeing us as parents celebrate our own birthdays can leave a positive impact on our kids. We will be showing them that life has value and that there’s reason to celebrate a person whatever one’s age.
We’ve all had experiences of seeing someone we know, pass, even if younger than ourselves. So, yes, every year is definitely worth celebrating.
Some years may mark bigger milestones than others, but each day is a gift not to be taken for granted. So, strive to instil this in your kids from a very young age. Celebrate your kid’s birthday every year.
True, some kids may feel overwhelmed on the day and not feel sure what all the fuss is about, especially if they are very young. Their place in the family could also make a difference.
Generally speaking, younger siblings would have been accustomed to seeing brothers and sisters being treated on their special day and are more likely to want that too.
4. Celebrating a birthday party for your kid every year on a budget
Although it’s not a must and every family should see what suits them, birthdays are a good reason to celebrate. The length to which one goes to, however, depends on a number of factors.
If your budget is tight and you cannot have a full blown party with lots of family and friends, consider one on a budget. Playing some classical games, sharing some food and drinks, blowing a candle to the ‘happy birthday’ chorus of people gathered and cutting a cake will surely be a positive memory for that child.
Here’s what to do at a simple kids’ party…
10 Classic Games You Need For An Awesome Kid's Party
When planning that special party for your little one and his or her friends, and you’re just wondering how you can make it more fun for them, choosing the right games is crucial.
We’re not saying get away with the minimum possible. Rather, we are saying, that instead of not celebrating your kid’s birthday at all, it’s better to go simple and easy, than nothing at all. Every year is worth celebrating.
Of course, be mindful of your financial situation. If you want to have a kid’s birthday party on a budget, it would help if you decide to do most of the items yourself. It could be fun too, if you plan well.
Concluding thoughts on should you have a birthday party for your kid every year?
Life is short. Childhood is even shorter.
I’ve learned, in life there’s always reason to celebrate. Kids’ birthdays give you the opportunity to do so on a silver plate.
When we celebrate our kid’s birthdays with a party, they consolidate what many a time we tend to take for granted. They provide us with the opportunity to stop, reflect and acknowledge achievements of our little one. They become a reminder of how grateful we ought to be for the opportunity to see them grow and build a positive self esteem.
I have met parents who would wish they could turn back time and celebrate with their kids when they were younger, but I have never met anyone regretting having thrown a party for their kid earlier on in their life.
So, whether it’s a small do, an extravagant one, or somewhere in between, celebrate your kid’s birthday with a party every year!
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Hi I'm Ann
Mom to three kids, I am the proud co-founder of Easy Kids' Parties. After a career in journalism and education, I diverted my skills to creating this website, with the aim of helping all those parents out there who wish to organize amazing and memorable parties for their kids but feel overwhelmed at the idea. Discover more...
