"DATING" OUR KIDS and BIRTHDAY TRADITIONS

We make birthdays a big deal for our kids. It is a day to focus just on them....a day where they are treated with special care and attention. With four kids in our home, there is rarely time for one-on-one time with each child. We have had great intentions to schedule one-on-one time, but it has not happened. I have heard of parents who go on "dates" with their kids, but honestly, that word has always bothered me. "Dates" have a romantic conotation. I date my hubby.....not my kids (although I completely understand the innocent intention of the whole thing). If we have time to go on a date....that date is with my hubby because we believe it is critical for our kids to know that Mommy and Daddy work hard to make our relationship great and despite our crazy lives, we love each other very much.

We have lots of joyous time together as a family, but one-on-one time with each child is rare.....other than running errands occasionally. There are times I will take only one kiddo with me to Target or the grocery store so that we can have some time alone together (it is not glamorous, but functional).

So, birthdays are a big deal. Here are a few of our favorite traditions:

-Kids wake up in the morning to gifts and balloons in their favorite color (one balloon for each year....my oldest son just turned 9, so he woke up to 9 turquoise balloons).

-Kids get to pick what our family eats for one meal during the day.....some "super moms" allow their kids to pick what the family eats for all 3 meals during the day.....but I am not that "super".  :0)

-Our kids get parties where they only invite their closest friends. We don't do parties where we invite their entire class, because we have found that the focus becomes less about our child and more about entertaining the masses. We budget all year for parties and try to keep them under $150.

-During the week of each kiddo's birthday, we will take cupcakes to school, sports practices/games, and other outings to extend the celebration beyond just their birth"day". We don't worry about the amount of sugar being consumed this week (we are very sugar-conscious the rest of the year though).

I would love to hear what birthday traditions other "Super Moms" have!