4 Tips to Make a Christmas Birthday Special

Although no one really plans for it, many kids birthdays end up being near the Christmas holidays.  It may seem a little stressful, especially because you don't want their birthday to be forgotten with the hustle and bustle of the holidays.  But, trust me, you can make their birthday equally as special around the holidays as any other time of the year!I guess I would call myself a bit of an expert on the subject, given that my birthday is Christmas Eve.  I can't even tell you how many times someone has said to me "Wow, Christmas Eve baby, did you get jipped growing up?"  The real answer is no, I did not get ripped off at all.  I have to credit my parents for always making my birthday special even on a very busy day.  I'm glad I learned from them how to make a holiday birthday special, because of course I had my son a few days after Christmas and I'm due to have another baby in December.  I was just meant to have Christmas babies I guess!Anyways, I thought I would offer some tips to parents on celebrating kids birthdays near the Christmas holidays.  There is so much you can do to still make it special and not lost with the excitement of the season.  Hope these help you out!

Plan a birthday party or celebration a few weeks before or after Christmas...

• Try and have a birthday party at the beginning of December or sometime later in January.
• Having the party separate from Christmas not only keeps them from getting so much at once, but also allows it to be a little more special and not overshadowed by the holiday.

Remind everyone NOT to wrap gifts in Christmas paper...

• Although birthday wrapping paper might not be what they have out at the time most people still have some on hand.  It again just provides a little separation between the holiday season and their birthday.
• To go along with this, remind people that Christmas themed gifts are probably not what kids want for their birthday either.  They can save Christmas themed clothes and decorations for the actual Christmas holiday.

Try to not let people combine a kids birthday and Christmas gifts...

• This is kind of a hard one to handle, but here is the thing you can tell family and friends: every one else with birthdays the rest of the year get a separate gift for their birthdays and Christmas.  So, why should a kid with a December or early January birthday be any different?  They are not going to understand a combined gift anyways.

Do something special on their actual birthday...

• Since my birthday was on Christmas Eve it was hard to fit in something special for my birthday along with the Christmas festivities.  When I was little we started a tradition of going out for lunch on my birthday, and to this day we still do it!  It was extra special because we would go out to a lunch place that I chose and my immediate family came along with my Grandma and cousins.  It was always really fun for everyone and a tradition we all came to look forward to every year.
• Make your own family tradition and it will become something that everyone will look forward to each year.

Happy Birthday to your little ones celebrating near the holidays!  I hope you are able to use these tips to help make their birthday equally as special to celebrate as any other time of the year.