Picture this. Your child’s birthday is in April. I send my kid to your kid’s party with a gift wrapped in Christmas paper. In April. You think those moms aren’t going to talk? The gift is a Christmas tree ornament. Now the moms are definitely talking. Your kid is crying. No one thinks anything’s special about my wrapping paper, my gift or me. Yet these are the same people who think it’s special when they learn I have a birthday 3 days before Christmas.
Rule #1 for giving birthday gifts in December: Never use Christmas paper.
For a child, a Christmas birthday can be traumatizing. Just ask our therapists. It shapes how you view anybody’s birthday, at any time of the year, for the rest of your life. Our birthday happens over Christmas break, so we don’t get to take cupcakes to our classmates, wear the Birthday Crown or be Line Leader. If our parents can manage a party during the holiday hoopla, it will be small. All our friends have already left for Detroit to see Grandma.
The most well meaning friends and relatives forget December birthdays. And even if they remember, they’re out shopping, out of town and out of money. And if you do get a gift? It’s the dreaded Combo Birthday-Christmas Gift.
For a child with a December birthday there aren’t enough holidays. We get all your gifts at one time during the year. That’s it. Then, without fail (because we’re kids, remember) March, April, May and June roll around and there’ll be something you’re just dying to have. A new toy, a bike, a set of Clairol brown fleece wrapped gentle steam hot rollers.
What do our parents say when we ask? “That’s for a special occasion. Like your birthday.” or “Remember that when you write your list for Santa.” Eleven months between gift getting is an eternity for a child.
You can vote to stop this epidemic!
December (and late November and even January) Birthday Babies of the World need you!
A special note to my December Birthday Baby Brothers and Sisters:
Remember as a kids you had to wait ALL year for an excuse to ask for a gift? And then you got the dreaded, "Combo Birthday-Christmas Gift". And if you DID get an actual birthday gift, it was wrapped in Christmas paper. Bet you got a lot of ornaments too… Please go here now: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=36974853546
And now to my Non-December Birthday Friends:
You too can vote to stop this epidemic!
December Birthday Babies of the World need you! We are your friends, neighbors, spouses, loved ones, coworkers. Heck, we might even be your biggest nemesis but isn’t it that time of year to have a heart? Help us by going here now: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=36974853546
