VERY Special Bdays

Parents celebrate the day they first met their little one in many different ways. Birthdays are as important to parents, especially mothers, as they are to the children. It's great to be able to personalize the celebration of the day as much as the original day was.

O‎ne of my children's favorite things on their birthday is to hear their tale of how they came to be. Included in this tale is how happy my husband an I were when we found out we were pregnant, siblings' reactions, preparations we made, foods I craved,and how we chose their name. Other things that can be included may be gifts given. For example, if your son/daughter has a favorite blanket you can describe it as a birthday gift rather than a shower gift and allow it to remind them how much their family loves them-so much so they were waiting and thinking of them before they were even born. 

This tradition of reflecting on how the family grew not only reaffirms the child's place in the family and makes him/her special but also allows mommy and daddy to revel in one of the greatest events of their lives. ‎It also opens family discussion to reflect back on other fond family memories. 

Another great way to make your child feel special on their birthday ‎is to allow them to pick a meal that day. For example, for my daughter's 11th birthday she chose to have fish sticks pancakes topped with applesauce for dinner. These were two of her favorite foods and she was tickeled to have everyone in the family eating with her. My other daughter choses grilled cheese and tomato soup for lunch every year. Be prepared however, sometimes the choice maybe to eat at their favorite restaurant, so budget accordingly. 

You can even personalize the more common birthday traditions such as cake and gifts. ‎Rather than buy these items try making them. Include siblings in the process too. My daughters love helping decorate each other's cakes and when by making small crafty gifts or cards they get joy from their brother/sister opening their presents as much as the gift reciever gets from knowing love, thought, and time went into them. 

So next year when planning that miraculous day that can never ‎replicated consider how to make it as memorable as the original birth day. Standard birthday parties with balloons and friends can be just as special with a few extra personal touches of sentamentality.