December Birthday

I have a 6yr old that was born 1-23 and a 5month that was born 1-20...so they are close to the holidays but not in december but if it helps at all... we just give plent of notice for birthday parties... i tell people a month in advance and then send out the actual invites 2-3 weeks b4 the date... we believe that xmas comes the same time every year and if people are close enought to spend my kids birthdays with them then they know when that is...so people have time to save money... i think every kid at least a couple times when they are young hate having the winter birthday when they start to have friends who get to do pool parties ;) its really not that bad as long as you as parents dont care ;) thats what i would think.... the kids wont hate it so much if you dont ;) hope that was somewhat helpful :)

My lil guy was due Jan. 18th and decided to bless us on Dec. 24th. My older two boys were born on 06/26, and 07/04. We found early on that not many people wanted to attend a kids bday party around the holiday. I decided to save the money from the parties and go on vacation. We've done it for about 10 years now.
We did have a party for Kyler for his 1st bday, but last year (2 yr bday)I took them all three to Great Wolf Lodge. They loved it!!
I will admit....it's a lot easier finding things to do for parties in the summer....but not impossible in the winter.
An idea for parties.....we bought the ceramic ornaments from Oriental Trader and had all the kids paint their own. They had a great time and the parents had an awesome keepsake.

My husband and daughter share birthdays Dec 23rd. My husband didn't like it as a kid because it blended too much with Christmas but for my daughter (she's 4) she seems to not know any difference. We have a birthday party with presents, cake, etc. Maybe when she gets older she'll care but for now it's good. Good luck with the new baby :)

Just make it special, when they are older don't ever combine presents or parties. My sister's birthday is two days after Christmas and my parents always made it a point to throw her a party and make sure that he gifts didn't have anything to do with Christmas not even winter wrapping paper. She never had any of these problems

Don't worry, my son was born 12/29/08!!! At least yours is closer to the beginning of the month. My son was one month early so I have no idea how I will plan his birthday's because the weekend before is Christmas and the weekend after is New Year's! :-)

Hi R.,

Both my sister (32 y/o) and I (31 y/o) have December b-days and we LOVE it! My sister's is before xmas and mine is after. My parents always just made it fun. It was just a whole month of celebration. Plus, we had family that lived far from us and we always got to see them around xmas, therefore celebrate out b-days with them too. I wouldn't worry...it's what you make of it. If you never say anything negative about it, then your child won't feel it. My parents always called us their xmas miracles. For me, Dec is just a very fun month with everything. I do know people who celebrate their child's half b-day (like in June)...but I never heard of this growing up, nor did I ever feel slided. Congrats on your upcoming arrival...it's a blessing to have them at such a joyous time of year, I think. Best wishes!

My birthday is Dec. 14 and I never had any problems. Give them a present on that day. As they get older, make their favorite/or their choice dinner. Have a party the weekend before their birthday. That is early enough to not interfere with the holidays.

My birthday is December 1st. I never felt like it was blended with Christmas. My birthday was my birthday and Christmas was Christmas. Now, I knew somebody that was born on December 24th which is WAY closer but I still think they should be celebrated as two seperate things no matter when you do it.

Don't decorate for christmas until after your childs birthday. With the due date the 12, you will still have a couple of weeks to enjoy the decorations beforehand. Don't buy extra expensive gifts and say its for birthday and christmas. Always give gifts for both occasions otherwise your child will feel cheated. The birthday is more important to celebrate than christmas. So be sure to have a birthday party even if you will be seeing relatives a week later. Remember you can always downplay Santa and concentrate on Jesus for christmas. Good Luck.

My birthday is December 9, it never bothered me and as I got older and wanted more expensive presents I could combine Christmas/birthday to get something I really wanted. So I kind of like that. My family always made it seperate. I do have a friend that is Dec 24, and she hates it, but that is Christmas Eve. You could always celebrate the half birthdays in the summer to make it seperate and extra special if you want. Summer parties can be more fun!

I have a daughter AND grandson whose birthdays are on December 24.During their early childhood and from Grade 1-4 or so we celebrated their "half-birthday" on June 24 to get away from trying to have parties etc. during the Christmas holiday.

My bday is Dec 18th, exactly one week beofre Christmas. I have never hated it. When we were little, we put up our tree on my bday (we got a real one) and I always really looked forward to it. We also always had grandparent and aunts/uncle over for cake and ice cream and presents and it was fine. Never thought anything about it. I think the key is to use your kids bdays to make them feel special and celebrate their lives, no matter the time of year. My oldest just turned 4 and we got a babysitter for the other two and took her out by herself to go ride gocarts and eat dinner. She had a blast, I think if you can get a tradition that you celebrate your children and make them feel special, they won't care what day their birthday is on.

Hi R.,

Your due date is my husband's birthday. His parents made a big deal of his 1/2 birthday. You can have some "wacky" theme parties with guests dressing up in half a costume and serving cupcakes with half vanilla icing and half chocolate icing. Trust me, it will all work out.

I have twins with a Dec 3rd birthday. It's hard because it's right after Thanksgiving and 3 weeks before Christmas. I know my cousins who are on 12/18 and 12/21 have it hard, but both of my Aunt's made sure to celebrate their birthdays. I know one of them ended up doing a 1/2 birthday type party in the summer.

So far, we haven't had any issues with the timing. In fact, it's helped. We see my dad's family at Thanksgiving, so they have one party with them, then my in-laws come around their birthday, so they have a 2nd party with hubby's side of the family and then we have the kid party not that they are in school.

What I do at home is wait to put up Christmas decorations until after their birthday. This helps them feel like they still have a special day. In fact, we have special decorations for their birthday that we put up a few days before their birthday.

Congratulations and good luck,
M.

Hi R.~ I have 2 boys who b-days are 12/23 and 12/27 what are the odds. We just try to make there b-days a huge deal. Since they are 5 and 3 we still celebrate them together but I make sure everyone wraps there presents in b-day paper and they each get their own cake. I agree with everyone else it is what you make of it. The boys love that they get to open presents like 4 days in a row. Their b-day, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and then at home (we live away from our family). So far it has just been a little stressful in the planning but no big deal for the boys.
December 12th should be good for birthdays. Enjoy.

My birthday is 12/21, and as a kid it sucked!!! my dad's side of the family would always wait till christmas to give me any birthday gifts that they might have, my mom's side believe (and this is how it should be) that my birthday is SEPARATE from christmas. make sure you separate the 2 days, because birthdays are just as special mas Christmas :D

Yeah, my birthday is December 11. My anniversary is December 18th. Both of my kids have November birthdays and some years my son's birthday will be celebrated with a Turkey..haha. I wouldn't fret too much about it. That is all your child will know. The only thing that I ever requested is that my birthday presents not be wrapped in Christmas paper. I never felt cheated because my birthday was my birthday and Christmas a was a whole different day. My son's issue is more seasonal. All of the kids with birthdays this time of year are having parties at the park, or water park or outside! He is limited to indoor fun in Ohio in November. Soooooo...we are thinking of giving him a 1/2 birthday party next year. He will have an outdoor birthday party for his 1/2 birthday. No presents, but a big party.

Your kid will only think their birthday date is a problem, if you tell them that it is a problem. I get sooooo many more presents for my birthday because people are worried that I will get less because of Christmas that it works out great! haha!

Congratulations! Sagittarius is a great sign!

My sister's birthday is December 27th. When she was younger, she had a boyfriend who made the mistake of trying to give her a birthday/Christmas gift at the same time since he could make it a bigger nicer gift. She let him have it. She had never had a combined day, and he wasn't starting now! WE never had birthday parties on our birthday, so having a party with friends later wasn't an issue. With your child's being the beginning of Dec. what a perfect chance to get minds off of Christmas, and celebrate something else. Kind of a preview of coming attractions. Keep them seperate, and unless your child hears how unlucky he is, s/he won't know it any other way.
R.

My daughter was born December 28, 2005. We make a very, very conscious effort to separate her birthday celebration from Christmas. My husband's mother sometimes thinks I'm being ridiculous when I insist that her birthday presents NOT be wrapped in Christmas paper and NOT be given to her during the rest of the Christmas gift exchange. I make a huge deal out of her birthday every year, and we have her party in mid- or early-January. Since you are due in mid-December, you might consider having parties right after Thanksgiving.

My daugther was born 12/06. She will be 8 this year. For the first 5 years we would not put up any decorations until after her birthday. Plus, we would have parties away from home as well. On her 6th birthday, she asked why we were waiting so long to put up the tree! So, I asked her if she cared and she said she wanted the tree up. For the past 2 years we've had her party at home and the tree has been up, but I've waited until after her party to finish any other decorations. We decorated the house and no one in our families seem to have a problem giving gifts 3 weeks apart. We make a big deal out of birthdays, but I always let our family know that big/expensive gifts are not needed! I think my daughter enjoys having her birthday in December, she's never complained. As a parent, my only big complaint is that it seems as soon as the 'newness' is there for her birthday presents and I've put it all away, it's time for more presents. But as children, I know they love it!

I have a child dec 1 dec 21 and jan 21.they do suck my oldest is dec 1 so i due it at the end of nov. My youngest i will do with my oldest this year. It is so true though people are broke close to xmas and after so try to do it early or half b-days...aa good summer b-day is also what i have done.

Good luck

My bday is 12/14 and my brothers is 12/17. Honestly it is what it is, you can't do anything about it. I grew up getting one cake w/both of our names on it (cheaper for my parents I'm sure) and having our bday parties together. What I hated the most was getting bday presents wrapped in xmas paper or family telling me here is 1 present happy bday merry xmas. very annoying since I always felt that if the my bday in june you would have to buy me two presents. now that my brother and i are adults we give our bday presents in xmas paper as a joke. Just go w/it. Make sure you separate the too holidays. I joke now and tell my husband that the whole month is dedicated to me. lol

My youngest granddaughteer has a December 28th bday. Her parents celebrate her bday on the day and the rest of the family celbrate at grandma's house on the nearest Sunday to her day. We do all of the same things that we do for everyone else's bday and share with her how special she is. So far no complaints and she is 11.

My youngest son's birthday is 29Dec. We always celebrate it just like the other 2 birthdays. Don't wrap the b presents in Christmas paper, have a cake (we do pineapple-upside down cake) not as sweet.

R.- First of all congratulations on getting to stay home with your children!
I have 4 children and their birthdays are Oct, Nov, and Dec. So we have 4 in a row! My son was born on Dec. 13 and we always have parties for our kids so last year when he was 1 we threw a big party- I think that if you have a separate party for your baby in December it will not run into Christmas- We have one for our daughter in Oct. our twins in Nov and our son in Dec. and it all works out great! Lots of birthdays but lots of family time for everyone getting together 3 months in a row and then on Thanksgiving and Christmas- Hope this helps.
P.

HI R.,

I have two children with January birthdays. My son's is January 5th and my daughter is January 15th. Yes, that means we have christmas and then 10 days later a birthday and then 10 days later and another birthday. We tried to throw really big birthday parties to let them know that they are special. We don't spend a lot of money, but invite the entire family. That way they know they are appreciate and a lot of people want to come and celebrate that they were born.

The other idea that I mentioned to my husband was that we celebrate their half birthdays instead of their full birthdays. This way they would get to do something fun outside. He didn't like the idea so we haven't done it.

We also try to emphasize that Christmas is about being with family. Appreciating the people in your life by giving them something thoughtful. I don't know how much my children actually get out of what we try to teach them, but we are giving it our best.

My 15 year old was born December 29. I loved her first birthday because we found a beautiful green dress. We tried very hard all along to make a completely separate get-together for her birthday. I would suggest having themes for parties as well--not Christmas plates, napkins, etc. She doesn't necessarily like her birthday and has mentioned the last couple years of celebrating it on her half birthday although we have not tried that. I must say that God gave me this daughter at a time of the year that she would enjoy--she loves snow and always has.

My birthday is Jan 12th so still close to Christmas. Growing up I always thought it was neat and would say my bday went from christmas all the way through. If you do parties for your little one just always do them the week before or the week of. Spread it out as much as possible and just keep it fun. I think the only time kids would feel bummed is if it's the same day as Christmas!
Good luck with your pregnancy & congrats!

I have a girlfriend whose son's birthday is Dec 26th. Every Christmas night she takes down any decoration they have, no matter how late they have to stay up, just to make his birthday seem completely separate. I have always admired that about her.
Perhaps you can see about having your new one earlier in December, should you choose induction or have to have a c-section. Even if not, you have a good two weeks even with your due date. Perhaps you can make the day after it's birthday be an extra special Christmas-decorating day. In any case, good luck!

R.,

My birthday is November 30, and even that got COMBINED with Christmas! People figured (and still do) that it is just fine to give me one present for the two events (not like I'm greedy, understand, but kids have feelings).

My good friend has a birthday on Christmas eve, so she "changed" her date, and we all celebrate hers on September 17th now. Party, gifts, cards, cake, the whole thing.

My second son whose birthday is in February is sick of not having the grandparents from the cold climate come to his party, but they always show up for his brother's in September (better travel weather), so we are "switching" his birthday celebration to May.

Really, it's just one day out of the many of our lives. You'll find a solution that works for your family.

K.

My birthday is on December 13th, and I never felt the least slighted because it was close to Christmas; in fact, when I was younger, I often ended up having two birthday parties because my birthday was so close to Christmas. My mom would always have cake and ice cream on my actual birthday, and this was often just with our immediate family (I am the youngest of five girls.) But my godmother could rarely come to a party at that time of year, due to all the hectic holiday activities. So my mom would have my godparents and their kids over sometime in Janaury to celebrate my birthday again. It was great. Just always make a point of celebrating the birthday seperate from Christmas - even if it means just having cake and ice cream at home with just your immediate family.

Hey R.:

I feel your pain, I have two children both born in early January. On thing I recommend is having a separate birthday party from the holidays. I make it a point with our families that birthday/Christams gifts although very appreciated and not necessary, are not combined. If that seems like a financial burden to someone in our families, I have suggested small gifts instead of one larger one, or a gift of time spent with that family member instead of a monitary gift. We make a big deal out of birthdays in our family so everyone gets it. As our kids get older, I am sure we will offer the option of celebrating half birthdays instead, so that they can celebrate with friends when weather gets nicer. I guess the point is that our children feel special on their special day. It does get hectic preparing for the holidays and planning birthday parties etc, and not feeling guilty (And overbuying) regarding Christmas and their birthday. I have held some things back at christmas or their birthday and surprise them with it later in the year if there is a special accomplishment etc. I hope this helps in some way, we are all just winging it anyway, aren't we? -S.

Hi R.,
I have a cousin who was born on Christmas Eve. My Aunt always kept her birthday separate from Christmas. Even though there was Christmas in the house my Aunt didn't use a Christmas theme for her birthday. The people I know who were born in December love their birth month. Just keep it separate from the holiday. By the way, my daughter was due December 14th but was born 3 weeks early. She is a Turkey baby born the day after Thanksgiving so you could end up with a November baby. Whatever month your baby is born in as a mother you will know how to make the birthday special. Congratulations on your new baby.

My daughter was born December 12, 2000. I understand your concerns. My advice to you is to NEVER combine the birthday and Christmas. Make it clear to the family that they will be expected to observe your child's birthday and then turn around and buy your child a Christmas present. I have always made a big deal about my daughter's birthday. She has always been able to give imput into the themes of her parties. That is very important to a child with a December birthday. Simply buying a cake and inviting family over takes away any importance of the special occassion that is so vital to a December child. My next piece of advice maybe difficult because you have older children, but I do not allow the tree up until after her birthday. No decorations until the 13th...not even a Christmas card on the mantle. After eight years my family and friends know that we do not combine the occassions and I can say that my daughter has never voiced any dislike of having a birthday in December. Tackle the issue with family and friends from the get go and you shouldn't have any problems. It is parents that make a child hate their Christmas birthday. Be firm from day one that your child deserves to have the same attention for their birthday that his/her siblings received. Good luck and be strong.

My son's birthday is December 28 (he was due the 25th) and he is 10. So far he hasn't mentioned feeling slighted with his birthday being so close but I have also always made sure there was no connection between the two. When we have birthday parties at home, I always have all the Christmas decorations down and that it is clearly his birthday. When he gives me ideas for Christmas I won't ask for ideas for his birthday at the same time. Is it always easy, no, because a lot of his friends are out of town for his parties but then he has said that he doesn't have to worry about going to school on his birthday.

Hope this helps!
L.

my oldest has a birthday two days before Christmas, and we purposefully celebrate his birthday beforehand and make sure that he had a party on his birthday or slightly before.

R.,

I was born on the 25th of December. My mother had the family celebrate my birthday on June 25th - exactly half the way through. Fun to have all the friends over in the summer. And it ended up being my special day. No hemming or hawing about "it's really not your birthday, blah blah blah" It WAS my birthday and Mom never let anyone poo poo her plans. She really put her whole heart into it, and that made all the difference.

Yes, you totally feel gypped having a birthday that is not special all your own without all the holiday hooplah.

Whatever you decide - to go with a half birthday or to bare your teeth against the holiday season and throw a party each year - try and make it a big deal.

Take care, and congratulations!!
J.

When I was a child, my best friend's birthday was Dec 21st. Her parents made sure to always keep her birthday separate from Christmas. They always celebrated her birthday first, and then decorated for Christmas the day after that. They also did not allow relatives to combine presents for bday and Christmas b/c they really wanted her to have a bday.

I come from a family that has LOTS of dec. birthdays, including myself. mine dec 10,grandma 15th, brother in law10th, mom 24th, brother 29th & lots of cousins throughtout the month that would take too long to list. i think the easiest way with december birthdays is to actually make it seperate from christmas. with my moms' being christmas eve, most people would think they are getting shafted, but my mom revels in it. not only does she get to open presents on christmas eve, but christmas day as well. the only thing i would forsee being a problem is if you try & do the "here's your brithday/christmas present in one" thing.

Our 5-year old's birthday is 12/30. We take down the tree the day after CHristmas and we are sure to not wrap her stuff in Christmas paper. Last year for her 5th birthday we had a party at the YMCA, and we had it after the new year, which gave us all a little time to recoup after CHristmas and prep for bday. She doesn't seem to mind her birthday yet, but we may need to get more creative as she gets older, so I'm looking forward to hearing other parents' input.

I have heard of people celebrating 1/2 birthdays. That could be more fun and also help you out with getting summer clothes and things for him/her rather than everything falling at he same time for Christmas. Good luck!

My grandfather's birthday is Christmas Eve!!!

I understand how you feel. My birthday is mid-June, and my sister's birthday is the day before mine. There were many occasions where we "shared" birthday celebrations and further had to include Father's day too. Hated it!

Even when we were scheduling a c-section for my oldest daughter, I begged them not to set it up on Halloween. I don't mind having her birthday parties having a Halloween theme - just didn't want it on that day.

We know people who have December birthdays or who have kids with December birthdays - what they typically do is have an "UN-birthday party" in June. Sure, they'll have some sort of celebration on the actual birthday, but having the "UN-birthday" in June allows them to stretch their finances a little further and actually get them birthday gifts as well as Christmas gifts. (Sort of like Allison in Wonderland - you have just 1 birthday each year, but you have 364 UN-birthday's!)

Good luck!

My daughters birthday is Dec 19th. She loves her birthday AND Christmas being in the same month as she gets given gifts TWICE in the same month. I would suggest going on and doing Christmas as you always do but make sure that you have your daughters birthday just as you celebrate your other children's. Make the day something special just for her. Also what you can do if you are totally set against having a December party you can have a 'half birthday' sometime during the summer. My daughter wants to do that one year NOT because her b-day is close to Christmas but so she can have a pool party theme. The biggest problem comes from when people try to combine the two events and the child can then feel like they are getting the short end of the deal because they don't get a 'regular birthday' like other kids. Don't 'cheat' your baby out of Christmas or their b-day, make sure to give them both and I'm sure as they grow they will be happy with what you do for them.
The one word of caution I would give you is you may want to set up a "December savings account" lol, my mother in law, my daughter and a good friend all have B-days in December and then there is Christmas to buy for too.... thats a lot of money to spend in one month so we try to put some aside every month for the holidays/birthdays at the end of the year.

My six year old daugther's B'Day is Dec 29th, and my 10 year old son's is Jan 25, because Jan babies get the short end of the stick too. Regardless, if it was on Xmas day, I make sure to make it her day. Too many people get caught up in Xmas and slighten their children day that they were blessed into this world. So, whatever you have planed for Xmas, set a little aside and celebrate whatever day your child B'day falls on. When you child gets old enough, to know what a B'day is, just asked them what they want and then plan Xmas around their day. Remember, Xmas has lost it's true meaning and now, it's to make the economy money. I hope you enjoy your new bundle.

Wife and mother of 4(4,6,8,10)

BOTH of my children are December babies (12/14 and 12/24!) My son is the 12/24 and that one is the worst! But when they were growing up, I always made sure to celebrate a little early. I always had a birthday party and made it a big deal that way their birthdays were separated from Christmas. And the REAL bummer about all this? My daughter is 12/14, my grandma was 12/15, my NEPHEW is 12/16, my godson is 12/23 and my SON is 12/24! and when I married my husband, got a few grandkids thrown into that mix! Yes, I hate December birthdays! It was ok while they were growing up because of the birthday parties...people were real good about separating the two because I did the parties separate from Christmas. But now that they are grown...especially my son, he really hates it now because people forget all about his birthday even if I call to remind them. I'm so glad I was able to pretty much pick my daughter's birthday...she was DUE 12/26! I said, there was NO WAY I was going to have one the day BEFORE Christmas and one the day AFTER! I had gone c-section with my son, so I went the same way w/ my daughter and had her two weeks early because their father was in Desert Storm at the time and I didn't want my son all alone for his birthday and Christmas so I talked the doctor in to 2 weeks early. You should be fine with a 12/12 birthday...as long as he/she comes when they're supposed to! It's easier to separate an early December birthday.
Good luck!

My 5-year-old's birthday is 12/12! We never have an issue. My DH's birthday is also 12/10. His mother has always waited (still to this day, and he's 36, lol) to put up her Christmas tree until after his birthday. Me, I just make sure to not make the two (birthday & Christmas) one event. Usually the birthday is not a weekend, so a party is either the weekend before or after, which is at least 10 days away from Christmas. We have our tree up before her birthday, but I never put birthday gifts under it. I also, never wrap birthday gifts in Christmas paper. We've never had anyone try the whole "this is for your birthday and Christmas" bit. If they did, I would surely tell them that I do not like that idea, and perhaps they should spend half of their money spent on one gift for each occasion, if their concern was spending too much. Its really not as bad as you may think it is. Just make sure that he/she knows that Christmas can't happen until AFTER his/her birthday. Then, even with the decorations and hustle and bustle, he/she will know that no matter what, birthday WILL happen first.

Our youngest daughter's birthday is Dec 21. She's 14 now and has never complained once about having a December birthday, probably because we make sure that day is all about her and her Birthday, not Christmas. We always ask that gifts be wrapped in birthday paper, not Christmas paper, have a cake that's a birthday cake and nothing that looks like or suggests Christmas, and all the other typical birthday decorations, etc. If you make the day special for the child, it doesn't matter when the birthday is, it's their special day! And unlike others I've read, we do decorate for Christmas before her birthday, on Thanksgiving night, which has always been a family tradition and one we all look forward to, even our Birthday baby! Congrats! I'm sure your baby will have happy birthdays, even in December.

Hi R.,

I have 2 boys with December birthdays, 12-11 & 12-8! They are 7 years apart & now 16yrs & 9yrs old. I always would throw them a big family party with close friends of ours too. I would have one party weeks before Christmas. It would be a double birthday party only & not holiday. I am fortunate to have family that are supportive to this concept.
Now my 16yr old son rather be with friends & go see a movie on his birthday. My 9 yr old son had moved on to a "take friends out for pizza" birthday night. But we had the family party for years.
I was a stay at home mom for 7 & a half years. It was worth it!! I also have a 14 yr old daughter & a 5yr old daughter. I stayed home when we had our third, the now 9 yr old. Needs changed, ie. braces, band, sports fees, bigger clothes! So I returned to work in Feb. '08.
Congratulations & best wishes!

I don't have any real experience with this but I have read/heard that many people celebrate the childs birthday in June. That way Christmas is Christmas and their birthday is their birthday. Hope this helped! GOOD LUCK!!

Hi R.! Your question made me sad. I wish you had been my parents. I was born Dec. 5th. I got one less Christmas gift if I got a bithday present. I never had a birthday party until I turned 40 (thanks to my husband and my kids). My 3 sisters got all of it, the whole ball of wax, presents, parties, special things. Whatever you do, don't forget about that one day and make it special. The rule in my house is that the Christmas tree does not go up until I have a birthday. I lost a lot of them while I was growing up. My family makes sure that my day is special. This year I will turn 50 and I am actually looking forward to my special day. C.