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| Birthday grab bag and snacks |
Do you know
a child you doesn’t love to celebrate his birthday? From toddlers to teens, my
boys have always loved birthday celebrations. One tradition at our house is
that the birthday person always wakes up to something special.
This year, I awoke
early to begin my son’s birthday surprise. Sneaking into the kitchen, I blew up
fourteen balloons, one for each year of his age. I signed the birthday card and
included fourteen coins (another tradition). Off to my son’s bedroom I went to
scatter balloons and strategically place his card.
When my
older son awoke, I waited for him to tell his brother happy birthday. It didn’t
happen. When he noticed the balloons on the floor he said, “Ma, why are there
balloons on the floor?”
“…to
surprise your brother,” I replied.
“You know
his birthday is not until tomorrow, right?”
“Oh, today
is not the 18th?”
I decided to
leave things the way they were, especially since my lips were dry from blowing
up balloons. It wasn’t a total foul up since balloons were only part of our
traditional birthday celebration. As my boy have gotten older, our traditions
have changed. We’ve moved from having birthday parties to letting each boy
choose a place to eat for dinner.
If you are
looking to change or add to your family birthday celebrations, below are five
ideas.
1. Birthday in a bag – make a grab bag
full of your child’s favorite items. This year my son’s
2. Birthday count down – do something
special each day for a week leading up to your child’s birthday. Maybe your
child likes music, sports or has a hobby. You could leave an item related to
these things in your child’s room (a new CD, tickets to a sporting event or a
toy related to her hobby).
3. Have a special dinner – let your
child choose what’s for dinner on his birthday, or better yet, let him choose
dinner out at his favorite location. I have one son who loves breakfast, so
it’s always IHop for him. My other son has a favorite Coney Island burger, so
it’s either that or Red Robin. This year it was Red Robin. Yum!
4. Balloons with a message – blow up a
bunch (however you want to define “bunch”) of balloons and write a special
message on each one. It can be as simple as “you’re terrific” or “I love you.”
5. Have a Treasure Hunt – hide the
birthday present, then write step by step clues that lead to the hidden gift.
A happy birthday ending
Do you have
a birthday tradition that your child looks forward to? What would you add to
the list of traditions?
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