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So..do everyone do theme b-days

post #1 of 21
8/10/08 at 9:15am
Thread Starter 
This question came up last night with my bro, SIL, and cousin. SIL said these days you HAVE to do themes so the child don't look weird and be singled out among their friends. The rest of us on a different note, we think if you want to then to it, but we don't see the big deal. Also to decorate their bedroom in the favorite character (the whole sha-bag, bed, ect..). So do everyone here do themes or plan on doing themes?
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post #2 of 21
8/10/08 at 9:51am
Heck no. I hate theme stuff. It's so unimaginative to me for decorating (at least characters--I like themes like "garden" or "treehouse" or "sailboat" or whatever. And as far as B-Day parties go, we're not even doing kid parties yet, and probably won't at least until kindergarten. It's big family BBQ, and a few kids her age (my sister's son, our neighborhood friends) come with their families.
post #3 of 21
8/10/08 at 9:52am
Um....no.

But if your SIL wants to buy a ton of overpriced stuff that's her business.

ETA: wait, are we talking themes like Elmo plastered everywhere or "garden party, tea party, etc" ~ I think that's fine but I find the character use a little boring.
post #4 of 21
8/10/08 at 9:53am
I do themes because I just love it and really enjoy the challenge of planning a big bash each year. I don't think it would be odd for a party not to heave a theme, the real theme after-all is celebrating the miracle that is your child!
post #5 of 21
8/10/08 at 10:01am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by ChristyMarie View Post
Um....no.

But if your SIL wants to buy a ton of overpriced stuff that's her business.

ETA: wait, are we talking themes like Elmo plastered everywhere or "garden party, tea party, etc" ~ I think that's fine but I find the character use a little boring.
She is talking about themes like children characters - Dora, Spiderman, ect...

That what I told her too. If you want to that is you. But she is like it don't cost that much 'why wouldn't you do it'.

She also believe I need to have him start watching those spiderman and dora things. Lucky thing I don't have the channels that play those stuff anyways and we about to get rid of this TV soon or at least out of DS sight. Why do people believe children have to watch these shows to have a normal childhood.
post #6 of 21
8/10/08 at 10:17am
I don't like the idea of bedroom themes *at all* because I feel like even a tasteful, well-carried-out theme (I'm think "space" or "circus" or "garden") would likely get old before I was ready to redo the room/replace the bedding/et cetera. So I would prefer to keep the rooms more neutral in terms of "theme" and just work with colors/style. I would actually find decorating a children's room in a theme (like those that I mentioned) to be a blast, I think--I just wouldn't do it because I would be afraid it wouldn't "last" long enough.

As for parties, I absolutely don't think a kid would be singled out or made fun of if their party lacked a theme. We've done parties with themes and without, and like the bedroom thing, I think it's kind of fun, as a parent, to work on the details of a theme-party (again, I'm talking "space" or "pirates" or "music" or something), and I would be a lot more inclined to have a theme for a party than a bedroom--even if it were a character-based theme, I guess--just because the kid only needs to stay "into" whatever that theme is long enough to have a party, and that seems pretty feasible.
post #7 of 21
8/10/08 at 10:27am
OMG are you kidding? That's just plain crazy. Esp for toddlers who won't even know the difference.

We don't like kids' stuff that's really just marketing--and most of this "theme" stuff is thinly-disguised advertising, IMO.

I also think the whole idea of having your toddlers "fit in" or be acceptable to their friends sets them up for a lifetime of unhappiness. Ugh.
post #8 of 21
8/10/08 at 11:01am
Yes I do a theme. I dont feel I have to do one though. DS doesnt even, and wont be going to school - so its not like I will ever feel the competition surrounding that.

But I do pick a theme. I think - what would DS like. Find it, buy it, plan to make the cake to match and go from there!

For his first birthday I found 'One Special Boy' theme. Its designed for the first birthday - with party plates that say #1 on them for example. For his second, he was really into cows so I did a 'Farmyard' them. And this year, since we love Mickey Mouse - thats the theme! hehe

You dont need a theme no. But I like picking the theme. I like be organised and it gives me somewhere to go with the cake I will make as well.

I also want to add that though we have a 'party' ...they are never big. This year, there are only 4 children going to be there (thats including my son!) and the rest very close family. But I still do a theme.
post #9 of 21
8/10/08 at 11:02am
I don't think toddler care if you have a theme or not. I am currently planning DS's 3rd birthday and am not doing a theme. It's gong to be at the kid's museum and we will just do multi colored decorations. DS's room isn't theme based although he does have mickey mouse club house bedding because that's what he picked and there were only a couple of options for a toddler bed and all were character based.

I think your SIL is kind of wacky to think little kids give two hoots about whether their friends have themes or not.
post #10 of 21
8/10/08 at 12:09pm
as far as "theme" parties go around here, it's letting my kids go to the party store to get their own paper plates and cups with whatever they want on them for their birthday barbecue/pool party. my kids couldn't even pick just one each, so we had star wars, pokemon, little mermaid, and tinkerbell for their combo party this year

i think their friends were just happy to come over and swim, drink punch and eat cake. nobody cared about the *theme*.

my kids are 6 and 9, with friends from ages 4-11
post #11 of 21
8/10/08 at 12:39pm
Gosh no, I loathe theme anything. If they get older and request it, probably just for them, but no, I do not plan on having anything theme. My kids do not even have any character clothes, etc. I hate them! People have bought us winnie the pooh shirts or something and they never wear them. Guess I'm weird but I can't stand them.
post #12 of 21
8/10/08 at 1:09pm
Not characters, no, but I like themes for parties like monkeys/jungle, or luau, or tea party, etc. I think they are fun to plan. That said, so far I haven't done any themes for dd's b-day (she's 3), just basic parties with family members, cake, and a few gifts.
post #13 of 21
8/10/08 at 1:21pm
MOre so than 'themed' birthday parties - I don't get big bashes for toddlers, seems overwhelming and not really fun for the kiddo.

We did a Cars cake when ds#1 was 3 (he loved cars) but otherwise - I make simple cakes and have simple parties with a few family members (small families as my parents don't live close and dh's parents have both passed away).

I have refused to do big parties for my older ones - $400-$500 for a party is insane. They still have friends.
post #14 of 21
8/10/08 at 1:21pm
for ds's birthday party next week we're doing a generic baseball theme, which I think is ok. (being in Chicago, there's been strong pressure to buy everything cubs or sox.. there's a whole line of mlb products at the party store) Don't you think kids will eventually get bored if every party they go to is the same old dora or whomever? I'm not into all the licensed characters. Anyone who wonders what's the harm in elmo and disney princesses, check out this book, "Buy Buy Baby" about how our tots are being exploited by branding.

http://www.amazon.com/Buy-Baby-Consu.../dp/0618463518
post #15 of 21
8/10/08 at 2:30pm
We don't even do a birthday party. They would think we're really, really weird. LOL We just have dinner with family, open presents and have home made cupcakes. We may go out as a family somewhere DD would have fun. There are no other children in our family, just DD. I guess the only thing that might be "themish" is that we decorate her cupcakes. She likes skeletons on them because she loves the human body and skeltons pretty easy to draw on cupcakes.

DDs bedroom isn't even decorate, much less with a theme. Again, if we had to choose a theme, it would be books. Her headboard is a bookcase, but that's really it.
post #16 of 21
8/10/08 at 2:39pm
The extent of 'theme'ing' for DS's 2nd b-day was the winnie the pooh plates and napkins I picked out. Me, DH, and DS had a wonderful time! Oh, and I drew a few wobbly planets on his cake with blue icing, which he loved.
post #17 of 21
8/10/08 at 2:45pm
they've fallen for marketing, hook line and sinker.

we stay away from commercially licensed characters, dd is 2 1/2 and she hardly knows any of them. well, she knows about hello kitty , but she isn't into it like other kids are obsessed with dora, diego etc, and it's not an major part of her play or imagination like it is with many of her peers. she just thinks hello kitty is cute (i agree...).

anyways, her second birthday party had a "theme"...it was a MESSY PARTY, and we had all sorts of fun, messy art activities for the kids that they don't normally get to do. it was a blast. but we used plain white napkins and plates, and believe me, dd didn't notice (neither did anyone else, for that matter) and she is not "deprived" or "weird".

somehow, i don't think my idea of a theme and your family's idea of a theme are the same thing.

and we cosleep so i guess dd's bedroom "theme" is orchids...because that's OUR bedroom decor. she seems to like it, she loves looking at and talking about the beautiful flowers, and "flower" was one of her first words, she used to wake up and point and say "fwa, fwa".:
post #18 of 21
8/10/08 at 2:47pm
Well, I host themed parties, but not characters ... more like "under the sea" or "luau" or "dance party." I have been to lots of parties that do no have a theme and they are just as much fun.

As for bedrooms, both of my daughters have coordinated rooms that are just "girly." Flowers and pink and whatnot. No characters here!
post #19 of 21
8/10/08 at 2:51pm
We've never done a theme of any sort and my oldest is 5.5. Actually, I've never been to a theme B-Day party for a child, they must not be popular here.
post #20 of 21
8/10/08 at 4:14pm
I will only do a theme for anything if DS requests it. That said we do have a few "character" toys and blankets (mainly Sesame Street and Snoopy), but nothing planned out-- just things various people gave us. He does watch TV but I am too cheap to INTRODUCE the idea of a theme if he doesn't mention it!

If he does request a character theme for a party in the future, I probably will do it though.
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