My LO is turning two this fall. I don't want to make birthdays a huge production forever just a small dinner and cake with family on the real day and then maybe a special day on the weekend with friends.
Would it be terrible to skip a second birthday party? Obviously we would make her a fun dinner and have cake and sing. Maybe bring (healthy) treats to daycare. But is it bad if thats all we do. Do you think we could even get away with just keeping it this small for year three too?
GOLD / squash / 13576 posts
That sounds fine. I think parties when your LO are this young are really for the parents.
pomegranate / 3275 posts
I don't see why not. It is at this age that they don't care, she won't even remember. We didn't throw a party for my daughter when she turned two (it was because DS came early and I didn't want people in the house with a newborn) and she doesn't care or remember. It seems silly to me to spend lots of money on a party they won't even remember, especially since they will be begging for parties when they are in school.
GOLD / wonderful pomegranate / 28905 posts
I think skipping 2 is fine but I feel by 3 they are old enough to have "Friends" and such. I think by 3 it starts being fun for them too. Look at LJ's (Mrs Jacks) party!
persimmon / 1081 posts
We skipped DD's 2nd birthday, too. We just had some pizza at home with grandparents and cousins. We will probably have to do something next year, though, when she'll be more aware of her birthday.
wonderful pomelo / 30692 posts
I have every intention of doing the same! I didn't have a birthday party every year when I was growing up, and my kid doesn't need one either! We just got to have our favorite meal for dinner and birthday cake and presents. I had TWO birthday parties growing up - one when I was in the 1st grade and had all the girls in my class over, and one when I was 16 and had my friends over.
GOLD / wonderful coffee bean / 18478 posts
I think that is fine, but maybe not by 3. My daughter was bugging me for months ahead of time. Where are we having my birthday? Can I have this? Can I have that? So skip 2 as it might be your last chance where they are unaware. But as the parent, of course it is always up to you!
GOLD / wonderful coffee bean / 18478 posts
@regberadaisy: the girl is obsessed. She probably talks about it once a day still. About her 4th AND 5th bday parties. I should start planning already!
wonderful pear / 26210 posts
We did, but it was because we had too many things going on at one time (relocation, new living arrangements, etc).
We are doing a traditional 3rd birthday pary this year.
GOLD / wonderful pomegranate / 28905 posts
@Andrea: haha I LOVE her! You have to make it extra special this year so she doesn't feel slighted with the addition of lil sis! Invite me! Invite me! haha jk
GOLD / wonderful coffee bean / 18478 posts
@regberadaisy: her bday was just last month! Haha. You can come to the party, next year! Lol.
honeydew / 7488 posts
We had a small family party for DD's second bday. It just didn't make sense to make a big production for us . All she cared about was her Elmo cake anyway. For her 3rd we had a party at a local bounce house place with all her day care friends but she didn't even enjoy it that much, so I really should have waited till 4 for her. I guess every kid is different!
pomelo / 5178 posts
I don't think kids need birthday parties every year, and we certainly don't plan on throwing our kids a party every year. Starting this year (DD is 3) we offerred either the opportunity to do a special family day out or a birthday party. DD chose to go to Chuck E. Cheese for her birthday, which was fine with us! A few days ago our neighbor also asked if we could throw a joint party for DD and her daughter (they have the same birthday), so it looks like we're doing a family day out AND a party this year. Which is fine, but in the future it will just be one or the other. 
For DD's first and second birthday we only did small, family dinners and cake, which were perfect for her age. I think anything more would have been overwhelming for her.
pear / 1570 posts
That is our plan. First birthday will be huge and there after will be a small family party (grandparents and aunts) with cake and balloons. Since we do have a lot of friends with littles we will most likely continue to do what we're doing this year for friends - a pancake party in the morning.
So I guess not super small going forward but not over the top either.
pear / 1837 posts
@T.H.O.U.: For my LO's second birthday, on his actual birthday we just went over to my parents' house for dinner with my sister and uncle, and he opened presents from my family, he had a carrot cupcake, and we sang to him. A few weeks later, we co-hosted a big playdate/picnic kind of thing with two other kids from daycare whose birthdays are close to LO's, so there was a party but we didn't really do anything birthday-related- there was no singing, no cake, no candles, etc. He got a couple of presents we opened at home later. He definitely didn't need his own party and was perfectly content with the family thing. He mainly just liked getting to eat a cupcake and having people sing to him
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