How to celebrate your child's birthday

The excitement we parents have when our children celebrate birthdays in their early years is out of this place. Then slowly the excitement fades as they keep growing before it picks up again after a few years.

Somehow, there are those birthdays that pass so quietly, even the child is surprised when they are told that it’s their birthday. Then there are those birthdays that can be smelled from miles away - they actually announce their arrival.

From my experience, first birthdays are something parents always look forward to. I personally started planning for my daughter’s first birthday the day she was born.

I even went cake-tasting a month to her birthday before I could settle on the cake flavour that I wanted.

You should have seen me running around engaging service providers in preparation for the big day. I even made a poster for the invitation. Don’t even ask about the number of guests I invited! That’s a story for another day.

However, when her second birthday came, I walked into a bakery on the same day, bought a tiny piece of cake that’s slightly bigger than my phone and took it home to my baby.

She didn’t even blow any candles! She kept looking at me wondering what exactly was happening because we sat there, just the two of us, digging into the cake. That’s the day I wished I could tap into the energy I had the previous year.

As I write this, her third birthday is tomorrow and I haven’t even figured out what to do. She, on the other hand, has been waiting for the day eagerly - thanks to her aunts who keep reminding her about it.

If only I could have been able to transfer the party I threw her when she was one to tomorrow, I would be the happiest mother on earth.

It seems I will be the only one singing and clapping for her on her third birthday. I am sure I won’t be running after service providers to throw my baby a huge birthday party.

Not that I don’t appreciate the milestones, I have just probably been hit by the reality that I can utilise the money elsewhere especially in these tough economic times.

When that energy swings back though, nothing will stop it, not even the economy. That energy and excitement is always as unavoidable as labour itself. When it wants a party, it will not depart till it gets one.

I have equally noted that most of the parties we throw our children mostly lean towards us and not them. Can you imagine my baby slept almost all through her first birthday as the rest of us made merry?

She hadn’t even started walking and had a sore throat but I went ahead to throw her the party just to make myself happy. I don’t regret the decision I made as I know she will look back when she’s older and thank me for creating great memories for her.

I have seen people discourage others from throwing birthday parties for their very young ones. Once upon a time, I was among those people.

I have, however, come to learn that parents always want the best for their children. Even if my baby is asleep when we are cutting her cake, I will create great memories for her.

When those birthdays find me without energy, we will walk through them bravely with our children and emerge victorious. When the birthdays find us energetic, we will be the first to throw the energy all around.

I know I am not alone this year, I am pretty sure I have my fellows who will ‘sneak’ past our children’s birthdays and just buy a simple cake or present for the memories.

Let us, however, take heart. Our time to rock the days will come. Happy third birthday to my daughter Soriala Sintamei Semeyian!

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