I have to agree that it doesn't seem out of line to have some *private* acknowledgement of the transition. Rituals matter. But a party with cake and gifts is WAY over the top. I, too, would find a reason to beg out of that! So no, I don't think you're uptight about it. I would be, too.
Hey, I trimmed my nails this weekend. Can I get checks and gifts for that, too? I did it all by myself, even!
Ugh.
Of course, we never got on the birthday party express, so I may not be the one to ask.
Our kids' birthdays are 4 days apart, so we use the date as our annual party for everyone we know...but that means it's mostly for the adults. We provide the main dish and have a pitch-in for the side dishes. (We've found that people who bring nothing to a party regularly ignore our "no gift" policy, but the pitch-in theme means that they're okay with not bringing gifts.) We provide wine and beer for the adults, and we get a babysitter to keep an eye on the kids so that the adults can relax and enjoy themselves, but we don't allow "drop-offs." It's not a kids' party; it's a family party. The adults chat, the kids run around the yard and eat birthday cake, and everyone has a blast. Oh, and no goodie bags at the end. I hate those things.
It's worked way better for us and our guests than the bouncy castle/magic show/pony ride birthday extravaganzas that people seem to throw these days. For whatever that's worth...
Last edited by Kriston; 10/09/07 07:09 AM.
