Is it necessary to celebrate your birthday?

 

I love cake and parties, and generally make a point of celebrating my birthday. On the other hand, my husband doesn't like to make a fuss about his birthday, so we don't do anything to acknowledge it. Birthday celebrations should be optional, and at the request of the birthday-haver.

I think there is only one circumstance where you are basically obligated to celebrate a birthday:

1. You are a parent.
2. In your culture, people typically celebrate birthdays.
3. You have a child who is old enough to understand the concept of a birthday. (Parents of one- and two-year-olds, you are excused!)
4. That child wants to do something for their birthday.

Even if you think birthdays are no big deal and roll your eyes at celebrating them, you should probably do it for your kid. Otherwise, they are likely to feel hurt and left out. You are certainly not obligated to hold a giant, expensive party. However it is nice to establish some sort of small birthday tradition. Here's some suggestions of low-effort things you could do to celebrate. Pick a couple, or create your own:

• Birthday kid gets to pick out at box of terrible sugar cereal you would normally never buy, then have it for breakfast that week
• Decorate the birthday kid's normal dining room chair with balloons
• Birthday kid picks dinner on the night of their birthday.
• Birthday kid can invite over two friends. You make microwave popcorn and give them a bag of candy, and let them pick any age-appropriate streaming movie they want.
• Birthday kid gets first choice of cup and plate colors, music in the car, etc.
• Non-birthday siblings get a box of cake mix and a container of icing, and are in charge of assembling a cake.
• After dinner you serve some store-bought cupcakes.
• Hate to shop and wrap? Take the birthday kid to Target, give them cash, and let them pick their own gift. (Do make a point of treating this as something cool and exciting.)
• Let birthday kid invite one friend on a family excursion to the zoo, science museum, amusement park, etc.
• Buy a yearly birthday journal (there are lots of options on Amazon) and fill out out with your kid each year.
• Sing the happy birthday song. Yes, it's terrible, yes, it sounds bad, but it will be over in 30 seconds.

Basically, you want to find some way to make your kid feel special and loved. It doesn't have to be a giant production.

Mark this special occasion of your life's beginning by trying to better someone else's, even by a little bit.

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