Making Joint Birthdays Simple Yet Special
Today, Jennifer shares five tips for making joint birthday parties simple yet special:
Since my twins Liam and Brielle were born, I have tried to find simple ways to celebrate their birthday, while also recognizing them as individuals and making them feel special. Here are five easy ways to do just that, whether you are celebrating multiples, or kids who opt for joint parties with siblings or friends with birthdays in close proximity.
1. Keep the list manageable (and fair). Planning your guest list can be a challenge but in general, strive to keep the numbers low. And allow each child to invite the same number of friends to keep things fair.
2. Offer separate themes. In theory, two themes may seem like more work, but it doesn't need to be over the top. Simply let each child pick their theme and decorate one room (e.g., living room, dining room) in each theme, or put it all together in one space. I keep it simple with a few decorations for each theme. Also worth noting, normally I have issues with uncoordinated things, but I got over this long ago when it came to birthday parties -- Star Wars and Tinkerbell co-existed nicely for Liam and Brielle's party this spring! (Alternatively, if the birthday kids don't have a theme preference, give them each a choice on color and get balloons and streamers in those colors...intermingling as with the cute birthday bunting pictured above)
3. Present two cakes. Whether you bake or buy, it's nice to present each child with a separate cake, particularly if your kids are like mine and prefer different flavors. They each get to blow out their own set of candles and make separate wishes, you lessen the chance of cake-related meltdown, and in my opinion, leftover cake (if any) is a bonus.
4. Sing twice. Here's a totally free and easy tip: Sing happy birthday to each child individually. Several years ago while watching a TV show about a family with multiples I noticed that they sang one round of happy birthday then read off each child's name like morning roll call. It just seemed kind of sad. Singing for each child takes very little time and each kid will get their own moment in the spotlight.
5. Gift separately but simply. In order to recognize my kids' unique tastes and interests, I prefer separate vs. a shared gift for my twins. However, you do not have to break bank to do this! I have found that sometimes the most simple, least expensive of gifts are the coveted ones. This year my kids were most excited about their new (Star Wars and Tinkerbell themed!) coloring books and art supplies.
Do you have other simple ideas for making joint birthdays memorable for each child? Feel free to share in the comments below!
Image credit: Boy/girl party bunting by Emily Hingston via Etsy
Comments
A good friend of my daughter Laurel has a birthday in very close proximity. Since they both shared a circle of friends, we decided to celebrate their friendship, not to mention help our parent friends enjoy a 2-for-1 on the birthday party planning front, by having a joint birthday party. It was an awesome way to lighten the load for each family, since we split all the prep and food down the middle. Since this was basically a playdate birthday party (i.e., we didn’t have a specific craft that would result in a takeaway item for a party favor, I opted for cute and edible: I ordered cookies with a photo of the two birthday girls printed in edible icing. They were a huge hit!
Posted by: Christine Koh - Editor | June 12, 2012 11:47 AM | Reply to this comment
Great tips! We had a joint birthday party for my daughter and nephew last year and my favorite part was putting together a comic strip invitation featuring a series of pictures of them together and a cheesy punchline. Wish I had thought to sing to them separately though!
Posted by: priya | June 12, 2012 12:44 PM | Reply to this comment
We went to a birthday party a couple of years ago like the one for Laurel and her friend. Apparently, these 2 girls have been celebrating their birthdays together for years. The party included a greenhouse tour at a botanical garden, and then we all went outside for the cakes. There was lots of room to play tag, and a big hill to roll down; perfect for the 1st & 2nd graders!
Now I'm thinking of finding a 'birthday buddy' for my 4th-grader. He loves the idea of a party boat at the aquarium, but honestly, I don't think he'd fill it up. His whole school, grades 1-6, has about 30 students.
Posted by: jen | June 13, 2012 11:34 AM | Reply to this comment
Thanks for the tips! We don't live near our families and realize that sometimes we're going to have to share her day with other family members. I love the singing individually, what a simple idea to still make her day, "her day".
Posted by: Janet | June 14, 2012 9:19 AM | Reply to this comment