Birthday Confusion
Today is the girls 1/2 birthday. While we make note of it, we've never really had a big celebration for their 1/2 birthday before. The big celebration has always landed on their whole birthday.
But then enters the preschool equation and the fact that their whole birthday lands just after the passing of the school season. Add to that the fact that they have different teachers, which is wonderful in most cases, except this one. And, well, they are just still 4 1/2!
Last year their teachers (again two different teachers) planned their celebrations for the same day. They celebrated near the end of the school year, but still many weeks before their whole birthday would actually come around. We had many discussions about what was going on, how many more days till their big birthday celebration at home, etc... This was relatively easy because they were both in the same predicament. They had a great time taking in special treats for their friends.
This year Abby's teacher has a policy of celebrating the summer birthdays on their 1/2 birthday. This seems very easy for us to explain and very easy for the kids to get. Abby was totally jazzed to celebrate her 1/2 birthday with her friends. She chose to make turkey cookies (sugar cookies decorated as a turkey) as her special birthday treats... reconfirming that they are so in the here and now with thanksgiving being so fresh in their minds. She got royal treatment from her teacher, as always. She was the special helper of the day, got 2 stickers, got to pick something (glittery lotion) out of the treat box (that I didn't even know existed), and who knows what else. At pick up time she came bouncing out of the room on cloud 9.
For some reason I thought Ellie's teacher had a similar policy on celebrating birthdays, but I was mistaken. They have many summer birthdays in her classroom and she plans on having a big celebration for everyone in the spring. Here enters the confusion for the girls.
We explained to the girls how this was all going to work and Ellie is way okay with having a big celebration in the spring. Actually, she's ecstatic over celebrating in the spring. However, she now appears to be totally confused about her birthday. She is convinced that her 1/2 birthday is in the spring and Abby's 1/2 birthday is today. They both know their whole birthdays are on June 6th, but I get the sense that they are losing touch that they are twins and share the same birthday.
I've always wanted them to be individuals, and not "the twins". But it saddens me to feel that they are losing a sense of their twin-ness.
There are also a set of triplets between the girls classes. The two girls in Abby's class will be celebrating their 1/2 birthday on Friday while obviously the boy in Ellie's class will be celebrating at a later time. I wish it were possible to see the parents at drop off or pick up to get a sense as to how it is going in their home. Hopefully we'll run into them at the Christmas program next week and we can chat.
But then enters the preschool equation and the fact that their whole birthday lands just after the passing of the school season. Add to that the fact that they have different teachers, which is wonderful in most cases, except this one. And, well, they are just still 4 1/2!
Last year their teachers (again two different teachers) planned their celebrations for the same day. They celebrated near the end of the school year, but still many weeks before their whole birthday would actually come around. We had many discussions about what was going on, how many more days till their big birthday celebration at home, etc... This was relatively easy because they were both in the same predicament. They had a great time taking in special treats for their friends.
This year Abby's teacher has a policy of celebrating the summer birthdays on their 1/2 birthday. This seems very easy for us to explain and very easy for the kids to get. Abby was totally jazzed to celebrate her 1/2 birthday with her friends. She chose to make turkey cookies (sugar cookies decorated as a turkey) as her special birthday treats... reconfirming that they are so in the here and now with thanksgiving being so fresh in their minds. She got royal treatment from her teacher, as always. She was the special helper of the day, got 2 stickers, got to pick something (glittery lotion) out of the treat box (that I didn't even know existed), and who knows what else. At pick up time she came bouncing out of the room on cloud 9.
For some reason I thought Ellie's teacher had a similar policy on celebrating birthdays, but I was mistaken. They have many summer birthdays in her classroom and she plans on having a big celebration for everyone in the spring. Here enters the confusion for the girls.
We explained to the girls how this was all going to work and Ellie is way okay with having a big celebration in the spring. Actually, she's ecstatic over celebrating in the spring. However, she now appears to be totally confused about her birthday. She is convinced that her 1/2 birthday is in the spring and Abby's 1/2 birthday is today. They both know their whole birthdays are on June 6th, but I get the sense that they are losing touch that they are twins and share the same birthday.
I've always wanted them to be individuals, and not "the twins". But it saddens me to feel that they are losing a sense of their twin-ness.
There are also a set of triplets between the girls classes. The two girls in Abby's class will be celebrating their 1/2 birthday on Friday while obviously the boy in Ellie's class will be celebrating at a later time. I wish it were possible to see the parents at drop off or pick up to get a sense as to how it is going in their home. Hopefully we'll run into them at the Christmas program next week and we can chat.
posted by Sonya at 11:37 PM
2 Comments:
I think it's a great idea to celebrate on the half birthday, it's too bad that Ellie's teacher doesn't do that too, it makes alot more sense. But it's also good for them to have their own special times.
I have to ask what to do in Brendan's class. His birthday falls a week after school ends, I just assumed that we'd celebrate early before school's over. The half birthday would be good idea, but it's also the week before xmas vacation and he might get lost in the shuffle with that.
interesting. half birthdays have always been important to me...but i know that i'm a bit weird in that respect. most people don't even know when theirs occurs...but since my birthday is in January, 6 months later puts it on Bastille day.
that said...i think that it is odd that, given that there were split multiples in both classes...that the teachers didn't get on board together.
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