Birthdays should be fun. It’s funny how people can react so differently to their birthday. For the most part, it seems the older you get, the less likely you are to celebrate it. Youngsters, though, usually love their birthdays—and the presents, cake and privileges they bring.
Up until this year, I eagerly anticipated “my day.” I remember the excitement of having friends over for sleepovers, turning 16 and getting my learner’s permit, and turning 18 and “becoming an adult.” I also remember one disastrous affair when my mom thought it would be fun to throw me a “Rocky Horror Picture Show”-themed bash. It bombed with not only me, but with my friends, too. It was a nice try, Mom.
Birthday celebrations have been hit-and-miss for my son Riley, who just turned 4. His first was fun – complete with cake mashed all over his face. For his second, he still didn’t understand why presents were such a big deal and had no desire to eat cake (even though I made a great effort to bake and craft a two-layer concoction adorned with Thomas the Tank Engine). When he turned 3, he loved the gifts, but still hated cake. And all along, he’s disliked having people sing “Happy Birthday” to him. He cries every time.
This year, I took inventory of years past. We didn’t sing (much as I wanted to). I didn’t bake either, instead opting to buy an ice cream cake, which he loved. His presents included his favorite things of late: airplanes and sharks. We kept it simple and things went well. Maybe if I would have had the age-appropriate birthday party chart on page 27, things would have gone more smoothly back then.
Next year will mark Riley’s fifth birthday. I think, depending on how he’s feeling socially and how we’re fairing financially, we may do the big bash where we invite preschool friends. You can be sure it won’t be at my house, though. I’ll be opting for an all-inclusive kind of affair, letting someone else take care of the details. I might just have to pull out our resource list, which starts on page 28, when selecting a location. I’ll just have to make sure everyone knows to expect ice cream cake and put out warnings not to sing “Happy Birthday.”
May your birthday celebrations be happy!
Nikki