When Annie was first born, Barry and I came up with a really simple idea for how to celebrate our kids’ birthdays: The Birthday Crown! I know I’ve talked about it already on social media, but I thought a formal post about it may be helpful as well.
Barry and I decided that whoever in our family was celebrating a birthday would get to wear a birthday crown and would be our King or Queen for the day.
On their birthday, the king or queen gets to choose what they want to eat, where they want to go, what they would like for us to do to celebrate. Maybe best of all (at least while they’re young), they get to wear the birthday crown.
Wearing the birthday crown is one of the most important parts of their special day.
I had a felt crown made on Etsy just for our Birthday King or Queen. Sellers on Etsy are phenomenal! If you don’t see just what you are looking for, most of them are so happy to work with you and create a custom order. The one I came up with is bright blue, red and yellow so it stays gender neutral. I also chose one with an elastic band that makes it stretchy enough to fit on all of us.
The kids definitely enjoy it. Andy wears it all day long. Eli usually just wears it for picture opportunities. Annie… well Annie’s at the stage where it’s embarrassing, but I’m sure she’ll get over that soon. And you better believe I wear that birthday crown when it’s my big day!
Y’all, birthdays don’t have a to be a huge shindig where you spend oodles of money. You don’t have to feel pressure to invite everybody and the local zoo over to your backyard. They can be super simple and still be very memorable. I think my kids will remember our birthday crown and king/queen tradition more than they would remember a big party with lots of presents.
At least I hope that’s what they remember, since I didn’t even get Eli a present to open for his last birthday. I don’t know if that’s a mommy fail or a minimalism win! But he did eat his favorite breakfast and wore the birthday crown while playing with a balloon, so I think he’s good to go! On the next birthday, you can splurge on renting bounce house inflatables for the party.
What I remember growing up wasn’t the new, fancy toy I got for my birthday. It was the wonderful parties we had at home together as a family. And Lord willing that’s what our kids will remember too. The traditions, not the presents.
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