If You Have Children Born in the Winter Would You Give Them a Summer Party?

I have a December birthday so I always wished I had a birthday in the summer so I could have a pool party.

But now my daughter has a summer birthday and no one is around because they are on vacation!

The grass is always greener, eh?

So I would have a birthday party in the winter and why not throw a pool party just to have one?

My daughter always has a Halloween party because she always wants some kind of friend get-together in the fall. It's not a birthday party, but a fun excuse to dress up!

Birthday parties are kind of meaningless if it's not on or near a birthday. But you don't need a reason to throw a party any time of year :)

No, birthday parties should be around the time of the actually birthday. I hate when people invite me to a birthday party 6 months after the actual b-day.

Yes ! My friend, Joann, has been doing this for years !

In the winter, she has a small family party.

Every July, she has an outdoor swimming party and her son invites his closest friends.

Just have a "Celebrating Summer! Party!.. "

Here is a funny thing.. Our daughter, me and my sister were all born in the middle of July.. So guess what? Hardly anyone was in town for that party either!!!

They were all at camp or on Vacation.. :{

And so we would have a Back to School Party!!! No gifts, but the usual, hot dogs, cake, ice cream etc..

Growing up, my best friend's birthday was on Christmas. Needless to say, it was very difficult to plan a party anywhere near her actual birthday. She usually had a half-birthday party instead during the summer. :)

I was thinking of doing this for my son next year. We live in New England, and his birthday is in December. Some years are worse then others here. Our home here was too small to invite his classmates, so we always had a family party. Now that we will be living in NH, I think a summer pool party would be a lot of fun, especially now that we have more room, and a pool!

My children frequently received party invitations for friends who were born in December. It was not a big deal. People are born in December, just as they are every other month. They attended the parties when they could.

But does a party have to be just for a birthday? Could you hold a big swimming party for your children and their friends in July just because it's great to have a swimming party at that time? It doesn't have to be connected with their (or your) birthday. Maybe it would become a sort of tradition - "Their family has the best pool parties in the state every year!"

I like to celebrate birthdays around the actual birthday, but some people do half birthday parties. The other option is to allow your children to have a party in the summer just for fun - give them a chance to see friends over summer vacation. It doesn't have to be a birthday party. One of my daughters has a friend who has a Halloween party, Christmas party, Valentines party and birthday party. Most of the parties are really just excuses to get together and my daughter loves it!

Our family reschedules all holidays and birthdays to a more convenient day, even christmas and new years aren't spared. we don't let the calendar govern our merry making, but try to pick a sunday a week or two before or after where the whole family can get together and enjoy each other without competing activities or commitments. So long as the kids don't feel aggrieved, I would have no hesitation re: having a summer birthday for a December baby.

Notwithstanding above, I think, where there is a will, there is a way, and parents and kids alike who are really keen on attending will find a way to do so regardless of when the b-day is scheduled, and those looking for an out will always find an out.

good luck to you and yours,
F. B.

Our daughter's bday is 12/27. e've always had her party on her bday. We've never had a lack of people show up. When she was younger, I believe parents were ready to get their children out of the house for a while. As she gold older, some parties were larger, some were smaller, depending on what she wanted that year.

Her 13th bday was on her bday and had over 100 preteens at a party.

NOTE: We throw parties for fun, not to receive gifts. Our invitations always say no gifts please, or in lieu of gifts ring a small food/toy/misc donation for our local animal shelter or food for the local food bank.

She also has several friends with December bdays and they never had summer parties. This year my baby will be 18. Time flies.

It is a personal preference. If I were invited to a party and it was somone we knew, friends, etc, of course I would go anytime of the year if it fit into our schedule.

I do this for my Halloween baby. Because of our limited space we can only have a small birthday party for her (5 kids tops). So in the summer we invite her entire class to a summer BBQ/Playdate at a local park.

Just to add: we don't call it a birthday party, there is no birthday celebration, no cake and no presents. Just an opportunity to get together with friends and we usually ask people to bring some food (potluck style) while we provide the stuff for the BBQ and pay the reservation for the picnic shelter.

If I were a kid, I don't think I would be very happy about having my birthday minimized like that.

We have the opposite here... summers are like your winters - it's so hot, you can hardly do anything, plus everyone's on vacation, so we LOVE anything but a summer birthday.

have the party, you dont have to call it a birthday party... but I suppose you can if you want to :)
4th of July is always a good reason to throw a good party.

Wow, can I ever relate! My two sisters and I have December birthdays, as do my daughter and my nephew.

We live in Minnesota so I can relate to the snowy, cold and treacherous part too. We have always had great turnouts for our Dec. birthday parties and we don't mind going to other people's parties in December, so I am of the "hey, why not?" frame of mind.

Hope this helps!

I had a friend who did half birthday celebrations in the summer, but I have never done it. I have a Feruary, March, and September baby and I believe only celebrating their birthday once.

I agree that one of the special things of a birthday is to celebrate that special day so I kinda think parties should be near to the real day. I would go to a party in December for sure. Admittedly it could be a little hard to schedule around, but if it was a good friend and my kid really wanted to go, I would try and make it work. Also, you have the benefit of planning during the day during winter break too, maybe?? If maybe not too many of the kids are in day care during the day.

Yea, I'll be honest, if you weren't a close friend I'd probably turn down a December party.
My son is a summer birthday and some years we have trouble with nearly everyone being away on vacation. Perhaps a spring celebration would work better.

My kids' birthdays are in Jan and Feb. I'm in the celebrate their birthday on/near their birthday camp. To do so in another season seems not very special to me. Am I bummed that I don't get to give them a swim party? Sure am, but that's life :)

My son's birthday falls on December 2nd, so we cannot depend on the weather for outdoor activities either. He is 4 and so far we have had parties around his actual birthday. My friend, however, has a daughter that was born on December 26. What they decided to do is honor her birthday on the 26th with her favorite meal and a small gift, but then on her half birthday June 26th have a big birthday bash with friends and relatives. I thought that was a great idea that we may do at some point, especially if my son has his heart set on doing an activity that would be better during warmer months.
HTH,
A.

My oldest were born in March. We were not able to decide what to do and with the weird weather we had it kind of was hard to decide. 75 degrees in March! We never knew if it would change. Anyway, they are having a birthday bbq next weekend. They will hopefully be able to have water balloons and such to have fun outside in the yard. I do not have room in my house for a bunch of preteens and family unfortunately so this will work better.
We are not "billing" it as a gift party either, just a chance to have a party and have fun.

I gave my January baby a Lua. I did it indoors, in January. We did the limbo, wore grass skirts, drank out of plastic cocunuts. It was a nice colorful break inthe blahs of winter.

I couldn't tell my son - hey wait 6 months, your birthday will be more fun then! The date of someones birth is the date. There may be a week or two wiggle room for celebrating, but not a month or two - imo

Both my kids' birthdays are in the summer. And so far, I sorta wish they were in the winter instead. By summer, everyone is on vacation or out of town and already has plans, so it is hard to get a party of kids together. And they NEVER get "happy birthday" stuff at school---no name on the list of birthday kids this week or this month or whatever. They aren't in school when their birthdays roll around.
The first year they were in school, they went to all the kids parties they were invited to by their classmates, and then I sent out invites for theirs 2 weeks after school let out or so (after going to the trouble to research everyone's mailing address--since I couldn't just send them in to their teacher b/c school was out) and got virtually NO RSVPs. Not "sorry we can't make it"... they just ignored the invites altogether.

Updated

Both my kids' birthdays are in the summer. And so far, I sorta wish they were in the winter instead. By summer, everyone is on vacation or out of town and already has plans, so it is hard to get a party of kids together. And they NEVER get "happy birthday" stuff at school---no name on the list of birthday kids this week or this month or whatever. They aren't in school when their birthdays roll around.
The first year they were in school, they went to all the kids parties they were invited to by their classmates, and then I sent out invites for theirs 2 weeks after school let out or so (after going to the trouble to research everyone's mailing address--since I couldn't just send them in to their teacher b/c school was out) and got virtually NO RSVPs. Not "sorry we can't make it"... they just ignored the invites altogether.

I've only heard of half birthday parties for kids whose birthdays are in the summer when school is out. My granddaughter's birthday is in July and the school recognizes her's and other's birthdays during the school year. Her family still only celebrates it during July. It means less kids but it's still fun.

I suggest that it's fun to have a party in the summer but just don't make it a birthday party.

no-they always had a party on their birthday-the summer birthdays were more summer friends and family-the winter birthdays were school friends at the first party and family and family friends at the grown-up party.

yes, I have done this. I planned a winter party and it rained so hard we had to cancel because it was not even safe to be on the road. Since I have a summer child too, we just taced her party onto her sisters party. they are to little to know better. Not sure how we will deal with it in the future.

Personally, birthdays are celebrated on or around the day (depending on the situation the month of), I would not attend a celebration otherwise, I think it has lost the meaning of the birthDAY celebration. So, you may have people not attending because it is not actually a birthday celebration.

I haven't done it yet but plan to do it soon.

My youngest and I share a b-day in mid November. As an avid swimmer as a kid, I always wanted a summer pool party but it never happened. My oldest has an April b-day.

I was thinking of having a combo b-day summer party next year for both of them at a local pool. Not sure how to word the invitations but I think its a perfectly acceptable idea. Maybe I will toy with the idea of a service project (food/toy drive?) rather than gifts instead. Something to think about.

All in all, I say go for it!

I've got a friend with a son with a December birthday.
She comes up with the COOLEST winter parties! (Even in Pittsburgh!)
Gotta respect that!

I have heard of people doing half-birthdays in the case of a winter birthday though.....family party in Dec, friend party in summer?

I have one child born at the end of November and one at the beginning of February. We don't do summer parties for their birthdays, and I find it pretty ridiculous. We just find an alternative place to have a party rather than something outdoorsy like our child with a September birthday. But they're old enough now that they don't need big parties full of friends and classmates. They've outgrown all that and have learned to appreciate having intimate parties with family and close friends. It's so much better for our budget too.

I'm glad you asked this because my third child is due in December. I was considering how to handle birthdays. I think most likely, I will probably have their party in December, although I live in TX so it's not always very cold here in December. You're in NJ, so it's a bit different for you.

My kids and I all have summer birthdays, and guess what? Nobody is around in the summer to go to parties. They are all gone to the cottage, or camping or on vacation.

My daughter is Dec 28th, and yes, we have thought about a half year pool party! But, then her bday comes and she wants a party then! I say go for it...maybe a "save the date" type reminder around her bday! I think it would be fun!

My friend who has a December 18 child usually waits until after Christmas to have public parties. The family still has a party for him on the day but as for the party for friends and school peers they do it in January when everyone gets back from break. She found early on that people were just too busy with Christmas shopping and all kinds of other obligations.

I think it is very very odd to have a party for a child that is not at least within a month of their actual birth date. It is not a birthday party then. It's just a "Give me a gift" party. I would most likely say no thanks and not attend. A birthday in the winter does not mean they can't have a birthday party, it is just usually inside if you live in a cold climate.

You could just throw a party and not call it a birthday party. :) Have a happy summer party! That is what I would do. If I received an invitation I would not know when your kid's real birthday was, so I would not think twice about it. If I knew...I'd think it was a little strange but I would not be offended or anything.

Yes, I would. I read an article in "Reader's Digest" where they gave the stories of families that gave their children born close to the Christmas holidays a half birthday in June. The article gave the pros and cons.

Good luck to you and yours.