Birthdays are special

Parties can't always be scheduled on your child's birthday. Here are a few ideas to make the actual day extra special!

Keep the "birth" in birthday

How many of us tell our children how glad we are that they were born? Here are some ways to let our kids know how special they are to us.

Pull out the baby pictures and reminisce about all the cute things your child did. Tell favorite stories about family moments. Create a list of all the things you like about your child. Read the list aloud for all to hear.

Start a scrapbook on birthday fun. For younger children, create a special hat or badge to wear on their birthday, artistically made by mom or dad. Make and give your child "coupons" that offer special opportunities such as a movie date with mom or an ice cream date with dad.

Birthday dinner

Let your child plan the menu for dinner on his or her birthday each year. Keep a record of the meals and as the years go by you can talk about how your child's tastes have changed from birthday to birthday.

Let your child pick out the birthday cake. Take a picture of the cake and save these from year to year to reminisce.

Put disposable cameras on the table for everyone to take candid shots during the family birthday dinner. Use plain white butcher paper for the tablecloth and set out cups of crayons. Make pictures and doodles that are special to your child. Save the drawings if they're not soiled. On your child's birthday, serve foods in the same quantity as your child's new age. For example, if your child just turned five, serve five apple slices, five cheese chunks, and five carrot sticks.

Birthday interview

We appreciate the memories that make our families unique. They are the instant replay of shared times together and of times that give us a sense of belonging. Every year, when one of my children's birthdays comes around, I conduct a mini interview on audiotape. I ask questions like, "What would you like to be when you grow up?" and "Tell me about our family."

You can also ask your children to tell you about school, vacations, and other significant events. Date and save these interviews from year to year. My kids think their responses from younger years are hilarious. As a variation, use a camcorder and record the interview.

Other fun ideas

Look through your pocket change and find coins dated with the year of your child's birth. Glue the coins to a piece of felt to make a mini-banner. Display the banner-with new coins added yearly-on your child's birthday.

Using construction paper, cut out several pairs of footprints (tracing around a shoe makes a good pattern). During the day (or the night before), tape these to the floor. When you're ready for the birthday present, have your youngster follow the footprints to where the gift is hidden. Tracking in and out of several rooms is really fun.