Friday, July 22, 2011

how to tell if its really your birthday

Like most children, my daughter loves her birthday. She loves cake, presents and most of all, the attention!

Throughout the year, I will prep her for upcoming birthdays. For some reason, I always get the same response.
Me: Tomorrow is Daddy's birthday, so we're going to celebrate tomorrow. Isn't that exciting?
Niamh: It's MY birthday tomorrow?
Me: No, its Daddy's birthday.
Niamh: Mine?
Me: (Sigh) No, your birthday is in July. I'll tell you when its your birthday.
On top of this, she consistently offers her services in unwrapping other people's gifts and blowing out candles.

I guess because birthday's are always my word against her hope, when it actually was her birthday, she couldn't quite believe it.

I told her a week in advance, "next week is your birthday!" and reminded her leading up to the day, "Sunday is your birthday!"

This year, she got something special. A big girl bike from both sets of her grandparents. She was ecstatic, and within an hour was whizzing around on it. She also had a party with her friends at our house, cupcakes, presents, the whole deal.

Later, she spoke to her Mimi and Pops to thank them.
M&P: Happy birthday Niamh!
Niamh: Are you serious???
M&P: (moment of silence). Yes, happy birthday, today's really your birthday!!
N: Are you playing funny games?
I had to get on the phone and explain that yes, we gave her the bike and she loved it. Yes she did know it was her birthday!

But without a sense of time, how do children really know it's their birthday? It must feel like I'm a mean mom denying her a possible birthday 364 days of the year. She can hardly believe her luck when it finally is.

1 comment:

Unknown said...

We have had an interesting time this year as Amelia got very confused about when it was her birthday. Lots of her friends are born around the same date. So for weeks she was going to birthday parties and we had lots of "we are going to xxxx's birthday" "Amelia's birthday party?" "No darling".......this is going to happen to years isn't it?!