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Daycare Center and Family Home Forum>Birthdays???
sahdaycaremom 12:09 PM 08-31-2010
Hi was just wondering what you all do for you dck's birthdays? Do you have a party? Get them a present? If so, what kind of presents do you buy? One of my dcg's birthday is next week and was trying to figuring out what to do for her! Thanks
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DCMomOf3 12:22 PM 08-31-2010
I encourage the parents to bring a birthday treat but if they don't, we'd have something here. Either cake, or cookies, or similar. I do buy presents, usually $20 or less. I just gave a stuffed animal and a coloring book to a DCG.
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SunflowerMama 12:24 PM 08-31-2010
We usually just do a cake or cupcakes and I help the other kids make a card.
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tenderhearts 12:24 PM 08-31-2010
I always buy cupcakes or special cookies. I do buy them a small gift, I try to stick to no more than $8.00. I try to get something crafty for them. I give them a card that says happy birthday how old they are and who it's from. We don't really have a "party" but we sing happy birthday and I take a group picture of everyone with the birthday child. They think it's special. I also put on my birthday wall who's birthdays are that month, each name is on a birthday background and they get to wear it and take it home on the day of their birthday. I saw somewhere you can do birthday crowns, I think through oriental trading and I've thought about doing that too.
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DanceMom 01:08 PM 08-31-2010
I always buy cupcakes - if the parents offer to bring something - great - but they usually never do. I also buy them something for under $20 - usually a book or a color book - something on the educational side.
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Pammie 01:09 PM 08-31-2010
I LOVE to help the dc kids celebrate their birthday:-)

I give the birthday child an age-appropriate hard-cover book...always a book, nothing else, nothing more.

I have a "Birthday Box" that comes out only when we celebrate a birthday. It's just a box that I've wrapped the outside with birthday paper. Inside are plastic festive plates and cups (from the dollar store) to make mealtime special. Also are some honeycomb table decorations, generic party hats, special party games (beanbags that I sewed out of birthday theme fabric) as well as a big felt "put the party hat on the teddy bear" - like a pin the tail on the donkey game...as well as laminated party theme pictures for a cake-walk type of game. Also in the box are some dollar store bead necklaces, feather boas and anything else I pick up at the dollar store or garage sales to make things special. The box comes out the morning of someone's birthday and goes back away, with all it's contents until the next birthday.

The kids just LOVE the "Birthday Box".

I hate the mess that cupcakes make, so I make sugar cookies for birthdays, and discourage parents from sending any treats or extra presents....that way, everyone's birthday is equal.
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legomom922 02:16 PM 08-31-2010
I always celebrate their bdays. First I do not charge for that day, & I buy them a gift, balloon and if possible take them out to lunch and then come back here and have dessert, usually a small cake and we sing happy bday.

I also do special things for xmas and easter, & valentines day.
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melissa ann 02:35 PM 08-31-2010
I used to get the kids a present, but stopped. Parents don't appreciate it.
I do make cupcakes which everyone helps. Spinkles on top. For the afternoon snack we have the cupcakes, since Happy Birthday. I do have the kids make a card for the b-day kid and sometimes draw a picture or make a bookmark.
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tenderhearts 02:52 PM 08-31-2010
I do agree that most parents don't appreciate it. Some do and it really makes it worth while when they do appreciate it even if it is only a few that do, I still like to do it, it's for the kids anyways. It seems the parents that do appreciate it appreciate me and show me by getting me a gift on Christmas ect.
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SilverSabre25 03:04 PM 08-31-2010
I love some of these and will be using them. I've been trying to solve the birthday quandary for a few months now. Some people have mentioned that the parents don't appreciate the birthday gift--how do you know? What does anyone think about getting them a book to stay in the daycare's library?
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legomom922 04:22 PM 08-31-2010
Originally Posted by melissa ann:
I used to get the kids a present, but stopped. Parents don't appreciate it.

Who cares if the parents don't appreciate it, aren't you doing it for the child? Afterall, it's the childs birthday, NOT the parents. I do things to make the CHILDS day special and make them happy, I could care less what the parents think, it's not about them.
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MarinaVanessa 04:27 PM 08-31-2010
I plan to do Birthday crafts with the kids and yes I buy the child a gift under $20. We make crowns out of construction paper and hand-prints (I do alot of handprint themes crafts because it's my logo) for everyone and wear them all day, we make sugar-free cookie dough (out of a sweetener lol) and make hand-print cookies, we make a large birthday card as a group for the Bday child to take home etc. I'm open to having the parents bring something as long as it doesn't have nuts or real sugar in it but not many ever do.
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momofboys 05:12 PM 08-31-2010
I usually make a special treat & do homemade cards/buy a gift. I also have had very little appreciation from the parent (& child to be honest) for some of the efforts I have put out to celebrate a child's special day. My last family had two b-days in May & I spent about 10-15 on each child. The mom never thanked us for all we had done. Of course I was not doing it (party/gifts/cake, we made homemade strawberry cake) for the mom but it would have been nice if she had acknowledged it or even said thank you. I believe that is what Melissa was referring to. Naturally we do things to make the kids happy, I still would do so in a heartbeat but it would be nice to get a simple thanks! I have done a special treasure hunt on birthdays also where all the clues to find things were geared toward the birthday child. It was a big hit!
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kendallina 06:57 PM 08-31-2010
The parents bring in treat bags, we don't do cupcakes because I have a child with an egg allergy, so for now I just told everyone no cupcakes. We had a birthday today and I had some Popsicles, so we ate those and I had the girl pick a book out of a special "Birthday Book Box" that she can keep.
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TGT09 06:18 AM 09-01-2010
My dcg had a birthday just this past Monday.....they are vegan's so they sent vegan cupcakes for her birthday. I decorated with balloons, steamers, and made a sign. I also buy a present that is $10 or less.


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tymaboy 06:30 AM 09-01-2010
I usually dont do much. For their 1st bday I get them a crown. I try to get a crown for all Bdays but there are times I am unable to get 1. I always pick up a small gift for them. I will make a lunch that I know the child likes but I normally do not do cake.
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Rachel 09:45 AM 09-01-2010
Each child draws a picture for the birthday child (including the birthday child) and I put them together in a book. I make a cover with their age on the front.

We make a cake together. Birthday child gets to choose what is for lunch (from my regular menu, can't choose sushi takeout or something)

Little party with the cake, baloons, etc
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DCMom 11:47 AM 09-01-2010
I love birthdays

I get them birthday balloons that announce the birthday to everyone at daycare, they get to wear the special birthday crown (I have a 'boy' and 'girl' one, they get to choose), cupcakes of their flavor choice, we play a party game of their choice (usually musical chairs, they love that one), a birthday photo with the crown and a hard cover book autographed by me, lol.

We have such fun as a group doing it and the kids feel so special~they talk about their 'birthday party' for weeks after I don't care if their parents appreciate it or not (though mine do) I do it for me and for the birthday girl/boy.
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gkids09 02:33 PM 09-01-2010
Most of our dcp ask if they can bring cupcakes or cookies for their child's bday, so we let them, and have it for morning snack. I usually get a present for the child, and never go above $20. The kids are always so excited to get their present. I ask that none of the other children bring presents for the birthday boy/girl, just because some may decide to bring them for their best friend of the day, and the next kid may not get any
As for crowns, we buy birthday bulletin board border, make it the size of the kids head, staple it together, and there it is...It's always around, and it takes FOREVER to run out!
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Abigail 09:53 PM 09-02-2010
Does anyone have a picture of the "Birthday Box"? I LOVE this idea, how easy to store it too! How many books do you have available for a child to choose which book they want and do you sign the inside cover or just put a book mark inside it as the card??? Thanks!

I like the idea of not sending treats to daycare with their children because it would be fun to make cookies or rice crispy bars for a birthday as a team.
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momma2girls 11:50 AM 09-03-2010
Originally Posted by melissa ann:
I used to get the kids a present, but stopped. Parents don't appreciate it.
I do make cupcakes which everyone helps. Spinkles on top. For the afternoon snack we have the cupcakes, since Happy Birthday. I do have the kids make a card for the b-day kid and sometimes draw a picture or make a bookmark.
I am totally with you here!! I used to do such great things on birthdays and Christmas, not anymore. This is so sad!! For the past 3 yrs. all the daycare children- only 2 or 3 families thanked me for the presents, all the rest of them- not even a card or nothing!!! Last yr. I spent $10.00 on each present for xmas, and only 1 family said thanks and purchased something for me!!! THe others didn't even care- I don't know what this world is coming to- nowadays hardly any respect or appreciation for anything you do!!!!
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momma2girls 11:52 AM 09-03-2010
We each make our own cards, for the birthday child. I make cupcakes, or cake for them, and give them each a birthday hat and we sing Happy Birthday to them.
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caitlin 08:39 AM 09-04-2010
For birthdays I get the child a book and write a special message inside. I normally get "Oh, The Places You'll Go" for the first birthday a child has with me, "The Giving Tree" is another one I like to give as a gift. We sing Happy Birthday over and over and over, I do birthday pancakes for breakfast and then we have a special snack (popsicles, smores in the microwave, sherburt, etc depending on the time of year). I try to stay away from the cake because it is a mess. My kids start leaving right as snack is ending so I don't want parents to walk in to see their child covered in icing and my kitchen looking the same.
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QualiTcare 10:28 PM 09-05-2010
Originally Posted by legomom922:
Who cares if the parents don't appreciate it, aren't you doing it for the child? Afterall, it's the childs birthday, NOT the parents. I do things to make the CHILDS day special and make them happy, I could care less what the parents think, it's not about them.
i agree. it is NICE to know that parents appreciate what you do, but the kids DO know and they WILL remember. i couldn't care less about my own birthday, but when i was a kid - i realized who got me a gift and who didn't and it made a difference to me. i know it shouldn't now that i'm an adult, but as a kid, i wanted a present and i realized that the people who cared about me got me one. anyhow, i bet the parents do appreciate it even if they don't know how to show it.
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