Holiday birthdays often prove a challenge for parents. How do you make sure your child\u2019s birthday gets the attention it deserves when all around you people are celebrating Thanksgiving, Christmas, or Hanukah? We\u2019ve got a few suggestions to make sure your little one\u2019s birthday remains special.<\/p>\n
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No Dual Gifts!<\/strong><\/p>\n Winter holidays are expensive, and some people may try to stretch their budget by purchasing joint birthday-Christmas gifts for children. This makes the child feel like holiday birthdays are an afterthought\u2014especially if their other siblings have birthdays at other times of the year. Make a promise never to give a dual gift\u2014with a little planning you can purchase birthday gifts well in advance of the holiday season.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n To make the birthday extra special, buy your birthday and holiday gifts, then choose one of the most interesting ones to be the birthday gift. Smaller gifts can be left for under the tree.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Keep the Holiday and Birthday Separate<\/strong><\/p>\n If your child\u2019s birthday is at the beginning or end of the holiday season, make sure they get to celebrate without all the holiday decorations. If, as is the case with one of the I See Me writer\u2019s little boys, the birthday falls on November 18, hold off on decorating until a few days after. If the birthday\u2019s in January, take down the decorations a little early. That way, your child\u2019s birthday is separate from the holidays.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n For children born in the middle of the holiday season, separating the two celebrations is a little more difficult\u2014especially for those children born on the 24th<\/sup> and 25th<\/sup> of December! One option is to have a room set aside for holiday birthdays that can be suitably decorated, while some enterprising parents take holiday ornaments off the Christmas tree the night before the birthday and redecorate with streamers and balloons.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n If a gift has a holiday theme, save it for Christmas or Hanukah. And while it might be tempting to use holiday-themed wrapping paper, birthday paper is definitely the way to go.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Don\u2019t Underestimate the Importance of Planning<\/strong><\/p>\n A party\u2019s no fun without guests, but with the hustle and bustle of the holidays, getting enough friends to the birthday can be difficult. Your best option is to plan well in advance, sending invitations a few weeks before the party so other parents have plenty of time to prepare.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n