Making Each Child Feel Special Part 1
By Stacey | Posted on May 29, 2009 | No Comments
How can parents with so many kids invest individually in a meaningful way? I’m sure that’s a question with a thousand answers, but here’s one for today. Make each child’s birthday special. Now, notice, I did not say “$pecial”. If you have the money to wow your children with expensive gifts, decorations and foods, fantastic. As long as there’s provision in the budget, and you and spousie agree, go for it! But, that has not been the case the majority of the time at our house. Usually, “special” at our house means thinking of ways to make the child king or queen for a day. Sometimes those things cost money, and sometimes they don’t.
Here are some things we have done to enhance the celebration of our birthdays:
- Child chooses menu for all three meals of the day (with gentle guidelines from Mom)
- Child is freed from daily chore responsibilities
- Child can sleep in
- Child can sit in the best spots in the vehicle, living room and at the table
- Child chooses the music, games, TV shows or movies
- Decorations are hung in the dining room and/or on the child’s chair (if this wows them)
- Child is permitted to choose plates, cups, napkins, balloon colors at the Dollar Store or other inexpensive source (if this wows them)
- Gifts are presented – sometimes by means of a treasure hunt with clues customized to child’s age and ability
- Siblings participate in making cards and decorations for the wall
- Verbal words of love and affirmation are spoken
- The day’s festivities center around a theme such as butterflies, superheroes, etc. (if this wows them)
Here are some things I would like to see us try in the future:
- Dad and/or Mom write the birthday child a special letter, poem or song
- A show or play is presented by the family to the birthday child
- Photos and memory box treasures related to the birthday child are viewed by the whole family