My little guy is about to turn 2 in a few weeks. I happen to be a HORRIBLE party planner. I am running into a couple of problems. First, all of our extended family lives in different states and won't be able to come. Second, my son has friends, but do 1 year olds really have friends? Third, I don't want to go through a huge hassle for something I am not sure he will like. So, here's my idea. My husband and I are talking about taking him to Great Wolf Lodge and the T-Rex cafe for his birthday and just ditching the party all together. Am I cheating my son out of something if I just opt not to have a party? Also, is he old enough to really enjoy Great Wold Lodge? Or should I just break down and plan a party? Birthdays always cause me such anxiety! Any help would be appreciated.
My thought is to go ahead and ditch the party. Since he is turning 2, the only folks to really appreciate the little guy's milestone is you and hubby. I think The Great Wolf Lodge and T-Rex Cafe are wonderful ideas.
Hmmm...maybe I'll pitch something similar to my kids!
i think you're right on with ditching the party! lol. i'm glad i'm not the only one who feels this way. my son just turned 3 and has just now finally started to really get excited and "get" the whole party thing. T-Rex or Wolf Lodge might be great...just depends on your little boy. around 2 - 2 1/2 is when my son started getting scared of things, this past 4th of July he was terrified of the fireworks, where the year before, he loved them. just something to think about, but i definitely agree that there is plenty of time to have a huge bash, later when he'll get into it more. have fun, that's the most important! happy birthday to your lil man!
Michelle,
Ditch the party and White Wolf Lodge and save the money (and the headaches) towards the holidays! My son just turned 2 at the end of August and I can tell you that there is no way he really even new what his birthday meant. Our family is all out of state, so we just did a small cake and birthday song about a week later when the grandparents were visiting for labor day. Honestly, I don't get all the fuss and expense that goes into young children's birthdays, but I know that the pressure gets greater as they start seeing what their friends are doing for their own birthdays as they get older. What I'm saying is...take the pressure of yourself for now because I have a feeling we have a lot more stress to come : )
~ Jen
I wanted to ditch the 2nd birthday party for DD, who just turned 2. DH won out & we had a party afer all, but it was a REALLY low-stress thing. We had it at the carousel museum in Leavenworth. The carousel itself rents out for $65/hr. unlimited riding/unlimited people, and they have a very nice kids' party room that's $50 an hour (but that's really 2 hrs. b/c you get 30 min. setup & cleanup in additon to the actual hour of the party). We ordered pizza to be delivered there, brought cake, individual ice cream cups, & water bottles & we were set. The gift shop even consulted w/ me on favors & had them ready to go when we arrived! The best part, though, was that the carousel was fun for ALL the kids - infants to 14, and all the adults there rode too. So, it's a fantastic solution to entertaining a wide variety of ages.
That said, if you don't WANT to do a party, don't! He's not going to know the difference.
My son is now 13 and the 2 or 3 times I tried to have a party it was just not worth it. Didnt bother at 1 or 2 other than a messy cake and grandparents since he had no clue. After that, we just made birthdays a family or friend thing (so he knows it is not Christmas too!) When he was 3 we stayed at "Grandpa's Farm" bed and breakfast for a few days and he got to help gather eggs and pet animals (he was really into farms that year), and we went horse riding and drive thru zoo on mini-vacation. The last few years I have let him pick 2 friends and I drive them around for the day - movie, swimming, bowling, etc. Just let him pick a few different things he wanted to do and make a day of it. Costs about as much as a party :) but they have a lot more fun! ANd I like that he doesnt get a million presents, makes the few he gets mean more to him.
Good Morning Michelle, I think the Great wolf Lodge is a great idea. Little folks really don't understand all the goings on for b days.
I love B days, and have always baked cakes and decorated for everyones b days. Fixed special dinners that they asked for etc.. the last few years they are really hard to have partys for. Our eldest son doesn't care much for his sis in law ( not many do ) so there is always tension there. So this year I am not giving our sons or daughters in law, gr kids party's. I am taking each gr child on their special morning to Build a Bear and letting them choose their special cuddly friend and dress them.
Even our 9 yr old gr son loved doing this.
When they are little like this they really don't mind what we do, they just like getting presents or at least ripping off the paper and playing with the boxs. :)
I myself had a party at 7, 13 and 40. I even stopped making my own cakes....lol My last one for myself said, to the most, wonderful, talented, gifted, caring, funnist MOM in the world!!! lollll Yeah was a BIG cake...lol Hubby and I celebrate our b days together no one else is invited to dinner
Have a great trip Michelle, and do what you want to for your son. If others want to acknowledge his special day they can call of send him a gift..
God Bless you
Karen Nana of 5
I think you have the right to establish your own tradition. We usually only have family at parties, especially when the kids are so little. If you don't have family that is able to come, there is nothing wrong with just making his day a fun one in your own way.
I don't know anything about Great Wolf Lodge, so I can't help you there. The T-Rex cafe sounds good. It seems like something my two year old would enjoy.
I think he's too little to want and enjoy a party. When he is older, he will tell you that he wants one when he wants one.
I think the Great Wolf Lodge and the T-Rex cafe are great ideas. At 2 that is going to be way more fun. I also don't think a party is always necessary, but it's more important that they feel speacial and get to do something fun. My oldest turned 8 over the summer and requested at day at Six-Flags wtih a couple of buddies instead of a party. We had a great time, better than a party. Do what is going to be fun for you all! Good luck and God Bless!
Michelle, I think you should plan an activity that will be fun for your family, whatever that might be. If your thing isn't planning parties, don't stress yourself out planning one---it won't be near as fun a memory for your family! I do love planning parties, but can really see why you would choose something else. Just choose something special for your little guy and have a fantastic day!
Michelle,
RELAX!! You have nothing to worry about! Your ideas of going to Great Wolf Lodge and the T-Rex cafe are wonderful ideas! You are not cheating your son by doing so. Think about it, how many two-year-old kids actually remember their second birthday?? I'm sure there are a few, but not many. Nothing says you can't all enjoy some time away with a trip to GWL or T-Rex. Not to mention, you'll have great photo-opps by going there. Your son will have plenty of parties in his lifetime, so go have fun on your trip!!
Have a great time!! ls
I'd ditch the party. My daughter turned two in July and we didn't do much... took her to see a movie and ate at Chick-fil-a and just made her feel special. At this point the party is more about the adults than the child; your son will not remember it at all. I figure next year we'll do something. We also haven't done much for Christmas in the past but will this year. You are by no means cheating your child out of anything!
Hi Michelle,
You're great to think to have a party, but really he won't remember it. Parents always remember, but your little guy won't unfortunately. It ok, cause it's your fond memories that keep it in the family and that's all that matters. When he's older is the best. Sounds like fun to the Wolf Lodge and T-rex cafe. Have Fun in whatever you choose!
I would just make your child feel extra special for the day. My daughter's birthday is 3 days after christmas so it's hard to not combine the two but I told myself from the begining not to. For my son's 6th birthday we just did a family thing but I decorated his room after he was asleep with balloons and streamers and he loved it. I also do a theme for them each year even though we aren't having a big party. Good Luck and have fun!!
I think birthday parties for children younger than preschool age are really for mommies and daddies and friends and family. A 2 year old doesn't understand the significance of the day & all these preparations for themed parties are lost on them. All a 2 year old really needs is some balloons, cake & some presents to make it a special day!
Grandma Deb
For my daughter's 2nd birthday we just had our friends and their kids over to our house. We had sub sandwiches, chips, mostacolli, crackers and dip and cake.
Can you tell me where the Great Wolf Lodge and T-Rex cafe are? Sounds like a great place to take my nephew when he visits!
Good luck with the party!
You know what.... I think the Great Wolf Lodge would be a great birthday "party". My son just turned 2 in Sept and we had his party at a park. But unlike you we do have family and friends that we could invite. I would take lots of pics, obviously to capture the memories but also later down the road if/when he wants to know what you guys did for his birthdays you can say "we did ....." I run a home daycare and invited the kids but most of the parents had to work on weekends(I took the day off)so the kids didn't come. But he had cousins and lots of other family and friends and we just had it at a park with a mini train ride. He LOVES trains. Having the family there to share the day was just a plus. Once he starts school and has more friends you can do the whole party thing. After all you aren't just celebrating his birth but the day the 3 of you became a family!!!!! Enjoy the quality time away from everyday hassles :)
I don't know where you are located but in Derby Ks, they have this place called Funtastic(s). It's a gymnastics place with a big inflatable slide, zipline, foam pits and soooo much more. My friend has 2 kids both born in august so she just combines the party. They turned 4 and 7. It was SOOOO much fun for kids AND adults. Plus with you having a oct/nov baby you aren't going to want to have outdoor parties. I think she said it was around $100 to rent the gym. so that might be something to do once he has classmates and not just a few kids.
Go to the Lodge. He'll love it.
For our daughters 3rd birthday we stayed at a hotel in wichita and went swimming. It was a fun family thing. Everyone enjoyed it.
I wasn't going to do it but then I saw pictures of when we had her sisters 3rd birthday at pump-it-up. At the time that seemed like a good idea and they did have a blast. But, in retrospect, did they really need a $175 birthday for their 3rd birthday?
You'll have plenty of birthday parties to throw when he gets older. I think these early years are great for small family gatherings or just your immediate family...much less stress on the child and on you! I would say that, for a two-year-old, a family outing like T-Rex would be fun. (However, when my son was 4, he wouldn't go in the place because of the huge T-Rex growling and moving at the entrance!) I haven't been to Great Wolf, but it seems like it might be more enjoyable when he gets to be a little older. Good luck whatever you do! I don't like party planning either, so I completely understand your worries! I will soon be needing to plan my son's 7th birthday in December, and I'm thinking about doing it at our house! Which means I'm in charge of figuring out the activities...which scares me!
Whatever you decide, try to remember to be in the moment and just relax and enjoy it!
Let him take 2 of his best friends with you all to the lodge Fun fun fun!!