If you’re like me then you’re lucky (?) enough to have three kids whose birthdays are less than a month apart.
When baby #2 was born only three weeks after my first child’s 2nd birthday, I had mixed feelings about them sharing a birthday party. And then my third child turned up only two days after my first child’s 5th birthday so there was almost no avoiding celebrating their birthdays together… at least for a little while.
Our first combined sibling birthday party was shortly after we moved almost 900 kilometers away from home and all of our family. We decided to host the party back in our hometown so it made sense to combine the celebration and save us having to make two trips in.
While this is still one of the main reasons we choose to do a combined sibling birthday party (despite now only living 200 kilometers away), there are several pros and cons that we take into consideration each year.
P R O S
The date is flexible.
Since it’s not a celebration of one specific day, it becomes more of a “birthday season.” We’ve had our parties anywhere from a few days before or after, to a month away from their actual birth dates!
Bigger is better!
One big party can be easier than trying to throw several small ones. I tend to go overboard on the party planning and wouldn’t even know how to throw a “small” party.
MY FAVORITE PARTY PLANNING SITES:
www.partycity.ca is my go-to website for party related decor items and game props. They have a huge selection of themes and color schemes and I’ve always been able to count on them to have something specific that I need for a great price!
www.etsy.com is my favorite place to shop for custom invitations and downloadable printables! I’ve purchased everything from party decor to costumes on Etsy and absolutely LOVE the personalized service!
www.amazon.ca is a lifesaver for situations when I need something that I can’t find in a store! And even if I can find it, I always price check on amazon first!
It’s a one time effort.
Party planning is exciting (at least for me it is). When I know there’s a party coming up, I go all in and put in as much effort as my budget will allow. But if I had to do it several times in a year, I’m sure that either my effort or my budget would run out by the time the last one rolled around.
Theme parties FTW!
Finding a theme for a combined sibling birthday party can be a challenge but with so many options – it’s actually a lot of fun! Our most recent theme was based on the Dreamworks Trolls movie but we’ve also done one inspired by The Minions Movie (for our three little minions) and Mickey & Minnie (our first one for our son and daughter).
No one gets jealous.
Since all the kids get to be part of the celebration, you don’t have to deal with the hassle of one child being jealous seeing their sibling get presents and cake and attention.
Everyone gets a gift!
When we were young, my grandmother always bought presents for each grandchild, no matter who’s birthday it was. It was one thing we could always count on – and we knew that no matter how jealous we felt about not getting to be the center of attention – we would at least get something from grandma. So I’m glad my three kids each have gifts to open together.
There’s room for new traditions.
Having a separate party means being able to do something special on each child’s actual birthday. There are so many creative ways to start a new birthday tradition in your family!
It’s easier on the guests.
While your children are young, all of their guest lists will likely be the same – family and close friends. Having one party means those guests won’t feel obligated to attend several different parties throughout the year.
Group gifts become an option.
A combined sibling birthday party provides an opportunity for guests to go in on larger group gifts together that your children wouldn’t normally receive.
C O N S
There’s no individual attention.
Each child won’t get individual attention at their birthday party and may harbor resentment towards their siblings for always having to share the spotlight. This may bother some kids more than others, but know that combined sibling birthday parties won’t last forever.
Finding the right theme can be tricky.
The kids may have a hard time agreeing on one theme, especially when they’re into different things. Finding a common color scheme can be difficult and the older the kids get, the more opinionated they become. The age gap between them can also have affect which themes are appropriate.
It’s just one and done.
Once the sibling birthday party is over, there isn’t anything new to look forward to for the rest of the year. It can be depressing when “birthday season” is over, similar to post-Christmas depression.
In some families, or large circles of extended family and close friends, birthday parties become one of the few reasons to get together throughout the year. Having only one party means there aren’t as many opportunities for celebrations.
Parties don’t grow on trees.
It can be financially straining to pull off one really BIG party once a year instead of several smaller ones scattered throughout the year. Considering what time of the year the birthdays fall can also impact the budget. Anything close to Christmas is almost always doomed…
The “happy birthday” song plays on repeat.
No matter what options you choose for a cake (individual cakes, group cake, cupcakes) you will always have to sing “Happy Birthday” more than once.
The gifting situation…
It can be a burden on your guests to have to bring gifts for several children as opposed to just one.
The children may come to expect that they will ALWAYS get presents when their siblings do (or other children) and it will take away an opportunity to help them work through their jealousy.
Kids may receive “one gift for all of you to share.”
