Why I’ll Always Make Birthdays a Big Deal

Growing up, my mom always made a big deal about birthdays. We always had some sort of celebration(s). To this day, my parents joke about how I had a whole birthday month, which isn’t false. My parents still play the same CASSETTE TAPE (you read that right, not a cd, not an mp3, not on Spotify … a freakin’ cassette tape) that my mom bought when I was very little that plays “Hey Meghan, it’s your birthday!” on my birthday every single year.

I have THE BEST memories of my birthday growing up. My parents always made it such a happy and special time of the year for me. I appreciated it then, and I appreciate it even more now as a parent. I love making my kids’ birthdays super special. I love seeing how happy they are for their birthdays and how excited they get for not only their birthdays but others’ birthdays as well.

Our oldest is 4 and, especially within the past year, loves to pick out birthday presents for people and give gifts for others’ birthdays. It makes me so proud to see his love of birthdays and his joy for making other people feel special on their special day.

As far as my birthday, it’s been taken over by my babies, and that’s all right by me. My birthday is spent the same as any other day, taking care of them. We have a celebration and they do a great job of making me feel special and loved. What used to be a day I used to enjoy being all about me, is now shared with them, which is the perfect way to celebrate it now.

The birthdays I look forward to the most during the year are for my kids. They are both at really fun ages for their big day now. Like I said before, my 4-year-old is a birthday fanatic. My 2-year-old LOVES singing happy birthday to people, and it’s the cutest thing. I love doing things for their birthdays that go above and beyond to make them feel extra special.

Here are a few things I like to keep in my back pocket for their birthdays:

  • Birthday breakfast: We’re big breakfast people in our house, and I love making their birthday breakfasts fun and over the top, whether it’s confetti pancakes or putting sprinkles and whipped cream on top of a frozen mickey waffle. They love it!
  • Birthday yard sign: We did this for our oldest son’s 3rd birthday, and I kind of think he was too young to grasp what was going on, but he was still excited about it and we’ll be doing it for another birthday soon.
  • Birthday trip (if possible): Our oldest’s birthday is in May, and I think we’ve taken a beach trip every year the week of his birthday. It’s something he looks forward to and gets SO excited for.
  • Birthday parties: I am ALL FOR big birthday parties. They are some of the most hectic days, but also the most fun days. As a kid, I remember always being so excited for my birthday parties. Now, I get to watch my kids show the same excitement for not only their parties but their friends’ and families’ parties as well.

Birthdays will always be extra special for me, and it makes me so happy to share my love for birthdays with my babies.

What are your favorite ways to celebrate your birthday? Your kids’ birthdays? Do y’all have any fun birthday traditions? I’m always looking for new things/traditions to put in my birthday arsenal.

Meghan Culpepper
Meghan lives on the Northshore with her husband, Brandon, and their two boys. She grew up on the Northshore and happily settled back in to raise her family there. When she's not playing referee between her 4 & 2 year olds, she enjoys watching the Food Network and trying to actually learn how to cook (or bake!) Meghan loves being a boy mom and can probably win at any kind of Ninja Turtle trivia.

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