Do You Know How to Handle December Birthdays?
Gift-Giving Advice for December Birthdays
This December you need to give special attention to the gifts that you buy for anyone who has December birthdays. December birthdays present a unique challenge for giftgivers, and there are some important things to keep in mind when you have to buy a birthday gift and Christmas gift for someone in December. After all, just because someone has a December birthday doesn’t mean they should get less than they would if their birthday was in July!
Fair is Fair
If you have any kids on your Christmas list that also have December birthdays, make sure you avoid the dreaded mistake of shortchanging them -- especially if they have siblings who you buy for also. Many kids with December birthdays are used to getting one gift and being told that it is for Christmas and their birthday. This can be difficult for kids with December birthdays because they often see their siblings getting more presents if their siblings have birthdays in the middle of the summer. It can be even more difficult to fight the urge to give one combination birthday/Christmas present especially if the child’s birthday is on Christmas Eve or very close to Christmas.
Children who have December birthdays should be able to enjoy getting both a birthday present and a Christmas present especially if their siblings get to enjoy both simply for having a birthday during another month of the year. In fact, if your child’s birthday is too close to Christmas, you may want to consider celebrating it a few weeks early or a week or two late.
Plan Accordingly
December birthdays can present a financial challenge for parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles. Simply put aside money a few months in advance to use for your gift recipient’s birthday present. Then you won’t be scrambling to afford both a birthday present and Christmas present for your gift recipients who have December birthdays.
Take Advantage of the Timing
You can get birthday presents for the kids on your list with December birthdays that are related in some way to their Christmas gifts. If you buy a Nintendo DS Lite for a birthday gift, you might want to purchase some new games for it as a Christmas present.
Plan in advance next year so that you can manage December birthdays without putting a huge dent in your wallet all at once. December birthdays can be fun for kids as long as their birthdays are not forgotten about in all the activity of the Christmas season.