Do you do a birthday party for your kids every year?

[wifecat]

I LOVE throwing parties. I love coming up with a theme and finding DIY stuff on Pinterest. I also hate spending a lot. This year, we did a big party for dd's 5th birthday at a gymnastics place. Never again. She had a blast, don't get me wrong, but it was SO expensive and really stressful for me - I would much rather have planned something at our house.

Next year, we're going back to small at-home parties.

Do what you're comfortable with - there is no right or wrong way!

[belovedgandp]

I follow my kids lead. I can totally do a big party, but at least my oldest doesn't care. Starting at 8 he's invited one buddy to do a big outing. I think it is a great alternative. Sometimes our whole family goes on the outing plus the extra kid (so two adults and four kids) and others it has just been me and the two kids.

I do a huge first birthday party for each kid at the house.

My oldest has bigger parties for the 6 and under birthdays because I am a SAHM with lots of playgroups. I do hate spending my weekends at birthday parties, so I'd just do a really glorified playgroup with pizza and a bounce house.

Even those parties have gotten smaller. My youngest just turned 4. I took her and two friends to Build a Bear on a weekday morning. Bought them cookies at the food court and called it a morning for $100.

[SnuggleBuggles]

Around 8yo, we stopped doing parties and instead did a few kids (2-3) and a special outing. Ds1 has tacked on sleepovers too now. But, they are easy. Before that, we alternated years with big parties and years with small ones. I've never felt pressure to keep up with what others were doing. I'll probably still do a bigger party for ds2 next year (at a venue) and then scale back. We did at home this year with 8 kids. Fun but tiring!

The local gymnastics' studio was great through age 7- and only $175.

[cilantromapuche]

It must depend on the kids personality. My DC love birthday parties. We didn't have them until the oldest was four because he begged. They (summer birthdays) insist that they must be home (I don't plan activities)and have home made cakes and pinatas. I am not a great cook but DS tells me all year how is friends are still talking about X cake and they can't wait for this year's b-day.
It is frankly exhausting and every year I try to talk them into a b-day somewhere else or a store bought cake. I am considering purchasing an outdoor ping pong table because I feel as if we have saved enough money from all the bdays at home and it would entertain the kids as they are getting to be tweens.

[essnce629]

From age 1-3 we do a party in my home town (San Diego) with family and all my best friends and their kids. After that we give the kids a choice of either an experience with family (4 of us plus my mom) or a party. DS1 has chosen to go to Legoland the past 3 years instead of having a party. Two years in a row before that he chose to have a bowling party. This year he is choosing to have a sleepover for his 11th birthday. DS2 chose to go to Disneyland last year for his 4th birthday. This year we're having a triple party with 2 other boys from his preschool whose birthdays are all the same week.

ETA: And in the almost 11 years I've been a parent, not once have I ever thrown a party where the whole class is invited. Just DS1's friends.

[HannaAddict]

Definitely. I really enjoy planning them and dreaming with the kids about them. It gets our creative juices flowing. This year my older boys are planning to mow a maze into our field to play paintball or lazer tag followed by swimming in our pool. Our goal is always to make the parties as fun for everyone as we can. However, I hate when other people think it is all about competing with the Joneses. I couldn't give a hoot what other people do (or dont do) and am very aware that other people might not have the time or motivation to get as involved as we do. We just do it because we simply want to. And my kids love all parties their friends throw no matter how simple just because they enjoy being with their friends.

I say do what you want.

I totally agree with all of the above. We are way better at throwing fun kid parties than adult events! A maze and laser tag or paint ball, my ten year old will be right over!!

[TxCat]

OP, I totally sympathize. I am not a kid party person - I don't enjoy themes and crafty stuff is so not me, and I find gift bags and favors to be really wasteful. So far DD1 has only had small family parties every year. I gave her the option of inviting her class to her 3 yo birthday last October, but she chose family instead. However I think she will want a big party this fall and I will try to accommodate. But, I'm not looking forward to any aspect of the planning. Some people excel at that, and that's great, others excel at different things. I'm much better at making a really great homemade birthday cake, or planning a special birthday breakfast in bed, or planning a surprise trip. Hopefully I'll get to use some of those talents more as the kids get older.

[94bruin]

There are some years where I enjoy throwing a party. This is not one of those years! DD1 is turning 9 at then end of May and DH just asked what we are doing. We were supposed to go to Disneyland in lieu of a party, but it's not in the cards (we are going later this summer - just not exactly for her birthday.)

I just want to invite a few girls for a movie and dinner. Maaaybe a sleepover if I can convince DD to keep the guest list small. We'll see.

[AnnieW625]

We do a party every year for our kids, but unless my parents are in town we haven't invited extended family, and now that the kids are older they have just been friend parties (although my sister usually comes as do dd1's godparents, but sometimes we have them over on their actual birthdays) I do them on the cheap side too and all of them since DD1 turned 2 have been at our house or at the park. We have a small yard (by bbb standards, 5000 sq. ft. total lot size), but we can still fit a bounce house on the lawn and we have a park 500 ft. down the street from our house so those are our two options (and we did use a park near dd1's school for her 7th birthday).

I don't do over the top anything for the parties and my loot bags probably consist of the dreaded bag of crap, but seriously I don't care. The kids have fun and I can spend way less than $500 on a party.

I would like to do a party for DD2 at her gymnastics school that does great parties (they do a mini class not just send the kids out to play on the equipment) and the party voucher usually shows up at an auction or two I just have yet to win it.

[firstbaby]

We do a party for our kids every year. Some years the invites go out earlier than other years, LOL. We are very low key with gifts for Christmas and other religious holidays, but to me their birthday is their one special day a year just for them Some years they want something "bigger" whether that is in cost or guest list size, other years are smaller. We brainstorm ideas and know it's "the one" when they get super keyed up about an idea. I love it and hope they look back on their birthdays with the best memories.