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GL Discussion Group
September will be here before we know it...which means that my little guy will be turning 2!
I've been going back and forth as to whether I should throw an actual birthday party this year. Last year it was just him, my husband and myself.
Most of you know that my parents are gone. My husband's looney parents are oddballs and live far away. My older brothers are completely undependable. But why should my child suffer because I have a wacko family?!?
Should I have a party?? 2 year olds don't have many actual "friends." He has one little neighbor friend, and of course he's friends with the kids at daycare (I think!)...well at least a handful of them!
Do I have a kid's party and invite his little playmates? If I invite some kids from daycare, am I obligated to invite them all!? And since they're so little, I'm assuming their parents?!
Or do I invite stodgey, old relatives and have a family thing?
Or should I just wait until he's school-age and has friends to invite?
Suggestions? Advice? HELP!
I am getting in here late but this is what I would do. ITA that a big bash would be a lot of work and Andrew would never remember it. First, I would take the other suggestions and bring cupcakes to school. Together with that, I would make a big deal out of his birthday from the moment he wakes up that morning. When you get him up, tell him it is his birthday, clap and say, yay, Andrew is 2 today and sing Happy Birthday. You might even give him a little treat of some sort. Then, when you pick him up at daycare do the same thing and have a little party at home with just the three of you. I would say invite grandparents but since that doesn't seem like an option. Get some ballons, a birthday hat, a little cake, ice cream if you want, and of course presents. Just make the whole day special for Andrew. At 2, he will have more fun with that than he will a big bash.
Having been there, done that, I have to agree with Q. Any big party Andrew is not going to remember, so I would go with baking some cupcakes and sending them to daycare with him. I did that with my Andrew this year at preschool and they made him "King for a day" with a birthday crown and everything. He thought it was great and had a blast.
I would save the bigger parties until he's older and will remember them. I STILL remember my birthday party when I was 6. Mum and dad took me to McDonalds with 10 friends and we got a tour of the place and I got to flip a hamburger...woo hoo, that's livin' ;-)
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No family party because you have no family (in the "good sense" of a family)
No giant back yard extravaganza because, trust me, Andrew will never remember it even when you show him the pictures. I don't think kids really "get" birthdays until they are at least 3. Before that, they are just overwhelmed by the whole thing.
Cupcakes at daycare and he'll probably get to wear a hat or something special. That's all you/he needs at age 2. Then you gradually build up the birthday thing. A lot of people stand by the number of guests equally the age (age 5 = five kids at your party). We never did that, but the parties got more and more elaborate as the kids got older. Then somewhere around 12 years, the parties got smaller; sleep overs, or going to a movie, or getting to bring one or two friends out to a really good restaurant, etc.
If you start out too big at 2, you as a parent will be burnt out by age 7!
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Erik would show up with no gifts for Andrew but he'd eat all the food you were giving out and probably some that he found in the fridge/cupboards. Dog food? Sure, why not. Then he would be negative about everything.
Tom's mom...I don't even want to go there.
Tom's dad would be spending as little time with anyone as possible.
David would bring presents if he showed up. Big if.
You would be freaking out because of Tom's mom's behaviour as well as Erik's and having a horrible time. They would spend most of the party in the "time out" section for bad behaviour.
I think you have to go with inviting only his friends from daycare and his other friends outside of daycare. Maybe the people who work there can discreetly give out invitations so that the ones who aren't invited don't feel left out.
But if Tom's parents and Erik ARE invited, I'm coming over! I'll watch the fireworks from behind the bushes with a video camera and if you want to call me a Peeping Sam, that's fine. I do expect cake since it's my birthday too!
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I agree that a party is appropriate, especially since you didn't do a biggie last year! Invite anyone who is important to your son, and make it as fancy or low key as you want. :)
We don't do a birthday party for the whole family after the first one, mostly because my inlaws think it's rude. They're weird though, so I don't really care if they don't come! This year, for Alli's 2 year old party, it's just Alan, Em, Me, my Mom and Dad, and Alli's Godparents. Then, later in the day, it's my turn to host the monthly dinner with my friends, so she'll see all of them too. Birthday cake earlier in the day, pie or something later on. Should be fun!
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Why don't you check with his daycare and see if they'd allow a 'snack' to be brought in to share with everyone in honor of his big day. I know a lot of places have banned this practice to include schools. Parents bringing in too much sugary sweets (cupcakes) or some child might have food allergies. Did we not grow up just fine when we got to celebrate things at school? Oh well, times have changed. I think you should check and see if something like this would be possible and that way you can make the little guy feel special in front of his peers on his day.
I can't believe he'll be 2 already! It seems like just yesterday we were laying odds on your due date!
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Boy, that's ground for divorce in some states! Don't be so nasty and cruel.
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