Wondering how you can make one birthday special for two kids? Celebrate one twin on their half birthday! Keep reading to learn all the tips for celebrating your twins on separate but meaningful days! Plus, learn how you can enter to win a Smart Steps Fun Box from our friends at Smart Steps by Baby Trend!
Picture this: you have boy/girl twins, and for the last six years, you have been throwing one big party, and your twinnies have LOVED every minute of it. Then, just before they are about to turn seven, they don’t want a party together. One wants a tea party with fancy dresses, and the other wants a dinosaur party complete with a pinata and fossil digging. I tried to compromise and asked if we could put little crowns on dinosaurs and drink out of teacups with dino bone stir sticks, but they harshly rejected my offering. And to make it worse, my little girl is now requesting her very own birthday! You read that correctly; she wants her own party, and she wants her own special day of birth! How does one change the day a child is born? Enter the HALF BIRTHDAY!
Check out why more and more twin families are opting for half birthday fun for twins!
Why celebrate half birthdays?
Celebrating half birthdays provides a special day for each twin to feel recognized and celebrated. It allows them the chance to have a separate identity and to be in the spotlight on their own special day. All of which can help foster self-esteem!
Not sure about this whole half birthday thing? Read all about Why Half Birthdays Rescued Me from the Looney Bin.
When should you start celebrating half birthdays?
A common starting point is around the toddler or preschool years, as children at this age love the idea of having a whole day just for them, and who can blame them? However, there are no strict rules, and it ultimately depends on what feels right for you and your family. My twins are 7 years old, and they are adamant that they want their own birthday!
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Benefits of celebrating the half birthday for one twin
Individuality and Recognition
Celebrating half birthdays with twins is an opportunity to give them a sense of individuality and recognition. Especially if they usually share their birthday celebrations. It lets each twin have their own special day to feel valued and appreciated as a unique individual.
Ownership
One of the exciting aspects of celebrating a half birthday with one twin is that they can take ownership of the day. They get to choose their own theme, activity, party guests, and cake without having to compromise with their sibling. This allows them to express their individual interests and preferences, fostering a sense of independence and self-discovery.
Alleviate Comparisons
Giving each twin their own special day ensures that they both receive equal attention and recognition without overshadowing each other. This can promote a healthy sibling relationship, reduce any potential rivalry, and alleviate any potential feelings of competition or comparison between twins.
One-on-One Time
Celebrating half birthdays with twins also allows parents to focus one-on-one with each twin. You will get to highlight their unique qualities, achievements, and milestones individually. This can help boost their self-esteem and make them feel special and loved. Plus, it helps balance out any potential feelings of inequality or favoritism that may arise from having twins. It ensures that each twin receives their own dedicated celebration and attention, making them feel equally valued within your family.
Celebrating half birthdays can also create special twin family traditions. You already have a unique dynamic, and now you are giving your twins a chance to help shape your family traditions.
Should I trade off which twin celebrates on their half birthday?
Yeah, it’s actually a genius move to take turns celebrating the half birthday. That way, each twin gets their moment in the sun and their own special party every other time. No more fighting or feeling left out! It’s like a fair and balanced system that keeps the jealousy at bay. Plus, it’s way more fun when you know it’s your turn to shine.
How to calculate a half birthday
There are two ways to calculate half birthdays:
1. The Easy Way (but less accurate)
The easier but less accurate way to figure out a half birthday is just to add six to the month number. So, let’s say your birthday is April 20; that would mean six months later, October 20. But this method is wrong most of the time. Months have different numbers of days, leap years mess things up, and the second half of the year is longer. So don’t be surprised if you end up with a date like February 30, which doesn’t exist.
2. The Accurate Way
Calculating a half birthday is not as simple as it sounds. You gotta add or subtract half the number of days in a year from your birth date. But wait, there’s a catch! If it’s a leap year, the number of days changes. So, in a regular year, it’s 182.5 days, but in a leap year, it’s 183 days. This crazy method can give you a half birthday on either March 1 or February 29 if you were born on August 31. Talk about a tricky birthday!
Don’t feel like doing the math? No problem, check out this half birthday calculator to do the calculation for you!
How to pull off a half birthday party
So, how do you pull off a half birthday party for one twin without isolating the other twin? Here’s some how-to advice from the twin mom guru, Natalie Diaz, who embraced the half birthday celebration when her twinnies were 7 years old.
“ONE child gets to have a party. The twin celebrating has TOTAL control over the place/theme, etc. We rotate each year who celebrates their half birthday, so it’s every other year for each twin. The twin NOT celebrating their half birthday still gets to invite ONE friend, but that friend comes more for a “play date” than a party. I explain to the parents that no gifts are necessary. The birthday twin gets their own cake. Blows out their own candles, and we sing just to that twin,” explains Natalie.
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How to handle the Actual Birthday
Natalie also discusses how she handles the actual birthday since one twin already had their “birthday.”
This is how the actual birthday is handled in Natalie’s house: “BOTH children celebrate, BUT the place/theme/invitation list is chosen by the one that DIDN’T have the half birthday. There is a disclaimer, though. It has to be somewhat gender-neutral so that the other isn’t embarrassed to be there like before. This is more of a typical birthday, and they both celebrate, they blow out the candles, and we sing to BOTH of them.”
There are no rules for celebrating a half birthday. You should do what is best for you, your budget, and your twinnies.
Alternatives to Half Birthdays
If a half birthday celebration for one twin isn’t your thing, but you would still like to have some sort of individual celebration, try one of these ideas:
Coming Home Day: Celebrate the day you brought your babies home. If you had a fairytale twin delivery, this option might not work for you. But if you had twins that came home on different days (this is common in twin families), then celebrate that day with each twin every year.
Personal Preference Day: Give each twin a day where they get to choose the activities and meals of the day.
Favorite Number Day: When your twins are enough to start having favorites, let each one choose their favorite day of the year (of course, this can’t be a holiday or their birthday) and take them out for some one-on-one time.
Celebrating half birthdays with twin siblings is a cool way to make sure each kiddo gets their own time to shine. It allows for individual recognition and attention, especially in families with multiple children, and can create unique traditions that bring joy to everyone involved. So go ahead and calculate your twins’ half birthdays, plan a special celebration, and enjoy the extra dose of happiness it brings to their lives.
ENTER TO WIN A SMART STEPS FUN BOX
In honor of the half birthday celebration, our friends at Smart Steps by Baby Trend are giving you a chance to win a Smart Steps Fun Box for your twinnie’s half birthday! There are three Fun Boxes to choose from: The Little Learners Fun Box (3 – 6 months), The Tiny Talents Fun Box (6 – 9 months), and The Beginning Brainiacs Fun Box (9 – 12 months). These Smart Steps Fun Boxes include unique STEM-based learning toys specially chosen with your growing little one in mind.
Available at Babytrend.com or on Amazon!
The Smart Steps Fun Box giveaway is being held on the @Twiniversity Instagram page. To view entry details, click here!
