- I appreciate people wanting to bless my daughters, but the amount of messages is overwhelming.
- I started asking my parents not to buy me new gifts for my birthday parties.
- Instead, ask them to bring toys from their homes to swap at the party.
After the first child is born 1st Birthday In April 2021, my husband and I found ourselves in a room full of gifts, touched by the outpouring of love for our daughter, yet conflicted, ideologically and philosophically.
Our daughter was the first granddaughter on my husband's side, and the first grandchild for me. Because I gave birth to my daughter in New York at the peak of the pandemic, neither of our families had ever come together to celebrate her birth. Family Reunion And it marks what feels like the toughest period of the pandemic.
The loneliness, isolation and sadness were palpable at the party after what we had all been through. It was clear we were all ready to part ways with those feelings and to part ways even more. The birth of our precious baby gave us a reason to socialize together, catch up and commiserate, and a catalyst to feel joy, hope and connection again.
I was happy to see my family, but I was overwhelmed by the amount of presents.
Our enthusiasm for this new chapter was apparent in our interactions and our promise to not let too much time pass before we get together again. Party guests showed their excitement in other ways, too: a gift. Our daughter is new shoes (by the time she accepted that footwear was a necessity for walking, she had already outgrown it), clothes (she never wore them because she was already picky about textures and colors), and toys (some were too young for her, some too big).
As I sat in my living room staring at the pile of new items in a state of overstimulation, I realized that I was Take charge of organizing And as I was trying to find room for all of my new gifts, the feeling of overwhelm began to grow, and the “invisible burden” of motherhood began to pile up.
Just a month ago, we moved from a 500-square-foot apartment in New York City to an older, two-bedroom bungalow in Asheville, North Carolina. Though we'd become masters at maximizing space in our tiny abode, finding organizers, boxes, and baskets for new toys was no longer a fun or welcome challenge. It was just another problem to solve on the ongoing, never-ending “to-do” list that comes with becoming a parent.
There seems to be a birthday party every week.
My first birthday party was over three years ago. Mother of two children I have beautiful daughters. They are 2 and 4 years old. Now that I have been a parent for a few years, I have found that birthday parties are a regular occurrence. Either one of my kids comes home with an invitation from kindergarten or a friend invites you to their child's birthday party. There are more kids around us these days than in the past and of course they all have birthdays.
The amount of stuff that accumulates after a child's birthday can be surprising and difficult for parents to manage. Also, with so many other commitments during the week, it can be hard to remember to buy a present for someone's birthday party this weekend.
I am grateful for the love and affection my daughters received when it was their turn, but I that's all Ongoing organization, donation and management Children's thingsAll of this got me thinking about how I could lighten the burden on myself and other parents, how I could contribute not just to my children but to the planet.
I decided to ask my parents not to buy my daughter a present.
That's when my idea was born: I would directly ask the parents not to buy new gifts for their daughter's birthday party. Instead, I would choose an item category, such as books, and ask the guests to choose books from their own collections to bring as gifts. The guests could help the children choose books or choose books that they don't think the children would want. I would also encourage the parents to reuse old gift bags, wrapping paper, and ribbons to wrap the gifts.
As guests arrived at the birthday party, I pointed the parents to the swap table and offered party-goers the option to donate a book or choose a different book. We will provide books for everyone to take home as party favors (and we will be sure to pick out our own books too). Home Library We added books to the pile so that we had enough for all the kids to take home.
In my kids' age group, most kids will happily give their gifts and walk away from the table without buying a book of their own, and that's okay. I fully understand that the idea of exchanging may seem too abstract for them to grasp, but I hope that by taking these small steps, my kids and their friends will begin to understand the idea a little more as they get older. Maybe one day, on a special day, they'll look forward to giving away their treasured items to others.
For my daughter's 5th birthday next year, I am thinking of choosing a different category of items, such as puzzles and games. I have noticed an increase in the number of items in our collection at home. There is little time to play recently.
One thing I've learned as I continue to grow as a parent is that my hopes and desires have also grown. I hope I can teach my children how to be respectful stewards of our green planet. Giving gifts from our own collections allows us to make less wasteful and more environmentally friendly choices. I also encourage my children to independently choose among their treasures and let go of things that may spark joy in others, which I hope will also spark joy in their own.
