Parents with children born in the same month...?

Question

What do you do when your children's birthdays are really close together?

My girls' birthdays are the 5th and the 13th of March. Next year, my oldest will be turning 4, and my youngest will be turning 1.

I'm not sure what to do about birthday parties. Is it better to have joint parties, or separate parties?

I feel like if we have separate parties, it will be a bit of an inconvenience to our friends and family to have 2 parties to go to and buy presents for just a few days apart from eachother. PLUS, its an especially busy month for our family with my dad's b-day, my nieces b-day, and my parents anniversary! Should I just make it easier for everyone by only having one party?

But I also feel like maybe a joint party might be unfair to the kids. Not sure! I'm afraid my oldest would feel overshadowed by it being our youngest's FIRST birthday party. Maybe they would resent having to share parties and not have that one special day of their own? How do YOUR kids feel about it?

What do YOU do? Combine birthday parties, or have them separate? Maybe have combined parties when they are little, and then have separate parties when they are older and have their own friends from school?

Thanks for sharing your experience and advice!

Answer 1

I have 4 1/2 year twins, so their birthday is always together, but I am pregnant and she will have the same birth month as them.  But this is what I would do, and probably will do.  Have them share a party.  But make sure it is a theme for both, or even do two themes, have them each have a cake, so two cakes.  And then on their birthday make it special. Cook or go out to dinner- their pick.  Open presents from you, and then again have a small cake, and maybe some ice cream.  And then maybe after they get a little older they can have just friend parties, and then a joint family party.

Answer 2

My sister's and my birthdays are like this.  We are three years apart too!  My birthday is October 10th and her is October 24.  While growing up to make it easier on family and friends, we had one "family" birthday party.  We usually had it the weekend between our birthdays.  Myparents still always had one present for us to open on our real birthdays and we were still able  to have seperate friend parties when we got older.  It never bothered us to share and we are complete opposites:)  Just make sure you if you have the party together you still make a big deal on their actual birthday like getting a gift or getting to choose what to have for dinner or what to watch on tv that night.  Good Luck!

Answer 3

When they are little, you can combine but when your oldest starts school, it's time to let her have a "friends" party.  I started "friends" parties at 5 or 6 with my girls at different times.  

Answer 4

My son was 1 on 4th July and my daughter was 3 on 11th July. They had a joint birthday party on 12th July (I don't like to have birthday parties before they've actually had their birthday). I also had my best friend and her daughter, my nieces and my in-laws come to the house on my son's birthday and we had a cake as it was his first I wanted to do something.

When they're quite young it's perfectly ok to have joint parties (it will also save you a fortune) and they're not going to care.

Obviously when they start school and make different friends this will make thing more difficult. I would then suggest that the child chooses a handful of their favourite friends and go to the cinema or do some kind of other activity that they enjoy such as skating or go to a theme park.

Answer 5

well to start i know what your dealing with also in march my son and his cousins b-days are only 2 days apart but one is a year older and i just had my daugther on my sons b-day this year!!they are 6 years apart also we have my brothers and my husbands b- days that month.With the kids we gave them their 1st birthady alone then every year after that we have just did them together so far they dont seem to mind.

Answer 6

My son's B-Day is Dec 7th and my daughter's is Dec 15th. With this year being my son's 1st friend B-Day party we are having separate  parties. But when it comes to the family party, we will have one.

Answer 7

My son and step daughter have the same birthdates. we plan to have a big surprise party for them this year. usually my son dad takes him out for his birthday and my husband takes his daughter out.

Answer 8

I would have them together but invite several kids your oldest can play with. They don't care much about adults at the party anyway, at age 4. lol

She will just be happy to play. I would get two cakes, though, and let her pick out the theme. She is the one that will really get excited over such and such theme.

I have been to plenty of birthday parties like this.

Oh, yeah and like the poster above me said, save a couple (or all presents) from you and daddy for the actual birthdays. We always do that, anyway. The oldest might like a family (you, daddy, baby and her) dining out breakfast on her actual birthday.

Answer 9

Hey!

Well Why Not Have A Big Party For Family And Friends And Have Good Food And Drinks, And Get Something Like A Bouncy Castle Or Something For The Kids To Be Entertained, And Then On There Actual Bithdays Celebrate Them How They Want To Go Out For A Meal Or Go Out And Do Something Special (:

Hope This Helps Good Luck `ox