Is acknowledging a birthday important

Hey! Crescent moon firstlease!

With 21 candles Like it glitabo

Following on from gracesmum
Is it possible for GN HQ to create a calendar so that anyone who want to be on it could add their name in the appropriate square? People who are interested could then check this each day and send birthday wishes as required.
Can we have a birthday cake picture as well?

Happy birthday Jane.

Birthday Greetings janeainsworth.
I had lots of GN good wishes on my birthday, that made my day!
Greatnan I shall join you in raising a may push the boat out and make it a prosecco.

birthdays were always very important in our family when I was growing up. My mum always made a rich fruit cake and decorated it. We always had a party of some sort..presents & cards

However I soon realised that not all families did that! My DH family were not particularly bothered by birthdays.. sent a card and gave a small gift but parties were not part of the deal. My DDs partner was lucky to get a card as he grew up and certainly does not get one now from his own family.

I carry on making a deal of birthdays for those I care about because that is what I know and that confuses some of them sometimes! My DGD1 has taken on parties in a big way and loves to decorate the party space with balloons/ banners etc and we always have to play some games no mater if it is an adult of child's birthday... but when she is a teenager/young adult I won't hold my breath for her to remember as there are so many exciting things to be doing! But I will tbh be disappointed! to all those with birthdays this week!

Have a lovely birthday, janeainsworth. Cheers

Thank you Harri

Happy Birthday janeainsworth

did someone mention my name

I think it will be jingles birthday this week... Happy Birthday jingle not seen you for a little while, think you have been away. I hope you have a lovely birthday

Could we have a list of birthdays somewhere for reference? So that we remember the the and the ?
NOT the year of course

Glitabo what a great idea - a birthday party with and and and and and and and and andnd and and but we had better not tell glass on the weekly weigh-in thread!
I have put Nellie's party in my diary for 29th - see you all there!

My brother was unbelieveable - every Christmas he used to send my/OUR mother (who has sadly now left us) a Christmas card with a cheque in it. Enclosed would be a note stating the cheque was to cover Christmas, Mothering Sunday and her birthday - her birthday was in April and I don't believe she ever received even a card from him on her birthday or Mothering Sunday as she'd been 'done' at Christmas. I wonder how he would have felt if she had done that to him???

try again just lost my post!

was going to say how sad that is Little Nellie, both my children son and estranged daughter had Jan birthdays and that is bad enough.

Is it only normal to want to have fuss made on your special day!

I have friend who drops huge hints and tells everyone, she has no kids but lots friends acquaintances and makes sure no one forgets her birthday!
all seems bit false somehow!

Having said that I love to get cards, got 16 this year will not count the 17th as was from the Club I go to!!

As long as I get one from my dear OH and son and 3 special friends then the rest are all a bonus!!

My sons arrived late due to dreadful post, andmy twin called round with his in person we had been away that weekend he came last Monday.

I would make sure you have special time this year!!
I sometimes get hurt when nieces and nephews who I have sent cards to since their birth dont bother, so now they all grown up I only remember the niece I actually have regular contact with.

that sounds quite unkind Kitchen my sons ex partnr was bit like that, she never even sent us a xmas cards last year her birthday i xmas eve!! even worse it is just that she cannot be bothers, there is no ill feeling.

Perhaps I will cancel Christmas,then there will be only one thing to focus on actually that would suit me not having the silly season now why didn't I think of it before.

I can still remember my grannies' birthdays - April 3rd and December 30th - so we must have at least sent them cards.

My birthday is near Christmas too, Littlenellie and I always hated it, even as a small child. Now I make sure that everyone remembers. I start reminding DH a few months in advance and always try to organise a special meal out or cook a nice supper at home for the family. That way they have no excuse. I think all the family know it's important to me.

My Grandmother's birthday was 1st January and when I was young she always threw a big family party on the day. I had to remember to buy her birthday present before Xmas, because it seemed so difficult to find the time to get anything nice afterwards.

Littlenell I feel for you. My brother & I are both December babies, birthdays always seemed to get lumped together with Christmas

Have you thought that perhaps you are too forgiving and kind? That isn't meant unkindly, on the contrary. It's so sad that 'life has taught' you that having low expectations is a good idea.

I am genuinely not a demanding mother/nana/wife etc. but I do expect to be remembered on certain occasions and would get upset if my birthday or mothers' day passed unrecognised. Could it be that people do not realise that you are hurt? That you 'pretend' it doesn't matter, when clearly it does or should.

Sometimes as wives/mothers/etc we put ourselves last and 'others' first, but that does not mean that these same 'others' should take us at our own estimation.

I like to send cards for birthdays, it's a small gesture but I think it demonstrates to the person whose birthday it is,they are in your thoughts. My older son, who I find the most challenging, always brings me a present and sometimes flowers as well. He usually delivers by hand strangely old fashioned cards usually written with a very effusive message. My younger son whilst at university usually texted me, I'd never got a card during those three years. I'm not sure some of the younger generation are terribly familiar with post boxes and stamp buying. However now he's back at home I recently asked him whether he would like me to get him a card for his dad's birthday which has just gone, he told me he'd got one, which he had, but it's still languishing in his room as apparently he was too busy to write it, aah the thought was there! He will also buy us a present usually a DVD of something he thinks is great and this will be presented in an HMV bag unwrapped, but I know the thoughts there he doesn't go in for grand gestures like his brother.

jess totally agree with having low expectations,and I do with everything..except my birthday,I am still that expectant child then

We would all like expressions of love, appreciation and affection I guess, and if we get those, then whether or not they are hung on the hook of "birthday" or "christmas" or "mothers day" come to that does not really matter does it. It's when we don't get them, that those blooming dates can get loaded with significance and become a challenge.
But we do set ourselves up by having child-like expectations of being made a fuss of on these special days don't we.
And imagining that all the other people are being made a big fuss on their b. days. etc. etc.
Really, christmas and birthdays were invented for kids weren't they. Did our grandparents get made a fuss of on their birthdays?
Life has taught me that having low expectations about some things can be a really good idea. Also appreciating the positives rather than the negatives in a relationship.

kitchen I am sorry for hijacking your thread,I have experienced that with my now estranged DIL..and it is hurtful,have also experienced this with my sister in law both of whom come from big close knit families,ours is a close family,but very small....I have never found the answer just go along with it and be warm and friendly and inviting,and well the rest is up to them,can't try any harder.

crimson neither did I ,and I think that you are right it is a feeling of rejection isn't it,I think it starts much earlier in childhood where when a parents rejection or disappointment in you starts the feeling,and in my case I accordingly was an ugly duckling who in mums words wasn't pretty wasn't ugly just pretty ugly,I wore glasses form 8months old and got hidden under a shawl ,mum never got over producing an ugly duckling.....brother different kettle of fish ..

I don't even know how I feel; whether I pretend not to care about birthdays so I won't be upset if no one sends me a card or whether no one sends them because I say I don't bother about it . Maybe it all goes back to adolescence and the awful valentines day stuff [no, I never got one ].

kitchen are you in a position to get away for your birthday? If so why not take a whole week? Announce, sweetly and innocently, to your family that you feel you'd like to celebrate your birthday more by going away for a holiday, and have they any ideas where you might enjoy? This is 1) letting them know birthdays are important to you and 2) giving them notice as you childmind and they will need to find a replacement for you (ha!).