Childrens' Birthdays

[GretasLittleFriends]

I'm wondering if you guys host mini birthday parties for the kids when it's their birthdays, or what (if anything) you do special for their birthday.

Yesterday was my son's 5th birthday and we had a party for him starting at 4pm. Yesterday was a light day and my last child was picked up at 3:30p. He of course had been invited and welcome to stay, but mom had dinner plans. Other than him, I haven't had a child here on their birthday yet. Just looking for advice/ideas for the future. Thanks.

[abenike722]

I don't do individual birthday parties for the kids. I have multiple birthdays in a few months, so we have a month birthday party. 3 kids have theirs in April, so the last day in April we'll have an "April Birthday's party" and then on their own individual birthday all of my parents have brought treats for snack time. This has worked out really well for us.

[mac60]

Most of my parents bring in a treat for the kids. If they don't, I will make muffins or cookies or such, and we will sing happy birthday. There was a time when I bough each child a birthday gift, but not any more. Most of my families are much more well off than I, and don't really shop where I do, and it got to be too hard to find something useful for $10, plus the expense was getting to me. With no raises in the past few years and the cost of everything continually going up, I quit doing it. We do make sure we sing Happy Birthday and have some type of treat, that is about it.

[Unregistered]

I always do a little something, I buy them a gift for $10 and under, it's really not too hard, boys like cars ect, then I always buy a "special treat" like big frosted cookies or make cupcakes, we sing happy birthday and they think it's so cool, we don't play games or anything but they still know it's "their" day.

[laundryduchess@yahoo.com]

I do the same as mac60

[Former Teacher]

If the parents brought the stuff,

we would have a "party" at afternoon snack. No it wasn't anything fancy with decorations etc. unless the parents provided it.

As the preschool teacher, I would decorate my "good news board" with the child's birthday and have them make a birthday crown. If the child wasn't having a chore that day, such as leader, helper, calendar etc. Then he/she got to be one with the child already doing it.

Years ago I would buy the birthday child a present. I would get one of those books that came with a cassette tape (thats how long ago this was!) Over the years I stopped doing it. Not because I couldn't afford it. It was because it was never appreciated. Never got a thank you (either verbally or hand written.) It was like oh ok thats nice. So eventually I stopped. I started to give out little b day cards from the whole class. Again I eventually stopped that when again it was appreciated or I would see it still in the child's cubby 2 weeks later.

That being said I had this one mother who was quite upset that WE didn't provide for her son's birthday. This is the same mother who in my earlier posts I talked about having the smelly car seat and the dirty clothes etc. Well the oldest child had a birthday and she came to pick him up. He turned 5 that day. She asked if we had the party. I said no. She asked me if we had cupcakes. I said no that for snack today we had popcorn or whatever it was haha, She got all mad and said " well did you at least sing happy birthday to him?!?!" I said with a smile "of course! we are not THAT mean!" Still with a smile on my face I said "if you want something done here that it out of the ordinarily etc.. YOU must provide for it. the only thing that your CCDS (the government program she was on) covers for, is 3 food times a day, and unconditional love and care. Rest is extra" She stormed off.

[kitkat]

We usually will bake cupcakes as a group project to celebrate the birthday and then have them at pm snack. I also buy the kids a small gift. Lately it's been a gift card to McDonald's or the local Children's Museum because I know they will be used.

I just got a new doorbell. It's a wireless one that plays 13 different tunes, including Happy Birthday. I've decided that we'll change the doorbell to Happy Birthday for one week for the birthday person. The kids love it!

[tymaboy]

The birthday kid gets a crown to wear (or not wear) I will make sure to offer something that I know they really like at snacks & meals. I also buy them something small for their BDay.

[melissa ann]

I do little parties for the kids. We'll have cupcakes and ice cream. I buy them a small present (at dollar tree or dollar general stores) Although, all the parents say, oh, that's nice. however, on my kids b-day the only present they get is from me. We go almost 6 months without a b-day and with in the span from Oct.-Apr we have 5 (6 if you count me, sometimes the kids want a little party for me) Oct (my daughter), Dec (dcb), Jan (me), Feb(valentines day, dcg), March (dcb), April (my son)

[seashell]

We celebrate birthdays here with party hats and cupcakes. I always give the kids a book and stuffed animal, the ones that Kohls sells for $5 each. The kids know what they will be getting and look forward to it.

[MARSTELAC]

I'm wondering if you guys host mini birthday parties for the kids when it's their birthdays, or what (if anything) you do special for their birthday.

Yesterday was my son's 5th birthday and we had a party for him starting at 4pm. Yesterday was a light day and my last child was picked up at 3:30p. He of course had been invited and welcome to stay, but mom had dinner plans. Other than him, I haven't had a child here on their birthday yet. Just looking for advice/ideas for the future. Thanks.

We have a "party" after school. I let the kids pick what they want to eat. Most pick cupcakes, cake/ice-cream, milk shakes. I always find out what they want the week before so I can have ingredients on-hand. This year the kids each got a birthday card, 5 bucks cash, 5 dollar gift card to Dairy Queen. In 2011 I am doing same treat and card but all are getting 10 dollar gift card to Toys R Us. For X-mas I would like to do 15.00 gifts and have them all be the same for each age group but haven't found gifts yet.:confused:

[MARSTELAC]

w Not because I couldn't afford it. It was because it was never appreciated. Never got a thank you (either verbally or hand written.) It was like oh ok thats nice. So eventually I stopped. I started to give out little b day cards from the whole class. Again I eventually stopped that when again it was appreciated or I would see it still in the child's cubby 2 weeks later.

I have found this too over the almost 3 years I have been doing daycare. The families are unappreciative. I have had field trips, whole family field trips with lunches, parties, sleep-overs, date-nights, extravagant gifts for the kids...no one ever says thank you. It is so disappointing! One mom just asked if I was having a Halloween party and when I replied "no" she looked so angry! I will still do a Valentine party and the snack/small 10.00 value gift for birthday, and 15.00 for x-mas but I am cutting out all of the other events. People are just rude.

[Unregistered]

Wb3awn

I buy gifts and serve cupcakes, sing happy birthday...take pictures of the kids blowing out the candles...

My theory is this...I charge $140/week, paid holidays, no free days...the least I could do is shell out $40/year in a birthday and Christmas gift. I also have a PNO (really out as its a sleepover) for free in November.

[SilverSabre25]

So far, I have ignored b-days because they've all been first b-days, the kids are too young to know the difference, care, or eat anything tasty. DD's third bday is tomorrow and I've been waffling about what to do. I'm thinking of making pudding for snack and singing happy birthday to her...but then again she's my oldest at 3 and none of the others get it at all yet.

Starting next year, we'll probably do a small party at afternoon snack--special treat, hats, song, make bday cards for the bday kid while the bday kid gets to make a crown or something.

[ddnanny13]

Parent provided yogurt (the child's favorite) as a treat for his b-day so we stuck candles in the lid and sang to him. I gave him some 2 hot-wheels cars since he is 2 years old... cost me like 2 bucks. Otherwise the only other birthday was my son's which we did do a little party for but more because his dad had to work that night so he wasn't going to be there to do it in the evening. Otherwise I would have waited until after all the kids left.