Make no mistake about it, parenthood is one of the hardest responsibilities you will ever have in your life. I know I don’t need to tell you this – you already know it if you’re a parent yourself, whether you’re on your first child or indeed if you’ve already had the first-time parent experience. I’m only telling you so that you know that you’re not the only parent in the world who feels like they’re not quite cracking this parenthood thing!
Anyway, there is no questioning the seemingly boundless love one has as a parent, no matter how naughty your little rascals may be. One of the many ways through which you seem to instinctively express this limitless love is that of making your growing child feel like they’re the centre of the universe. We can’t help it, and for the most part the world does revolve around them. An infant needs attention pretty much all around the clock otherwise they have no way of surviving, so never feel guilty about realigning your entire world to accommodate your baby at its centre.
Things definitely get just a little bit easier when they grow a little, but then again the toddler stage is that very inquisitive stage during which your job as a parent is to be there as a safety net for developing minds and bodies that are determined to find out just which of this world’s offerings won’t kill them! Haha…
Anyway, the question is in a world which is clearly built around your young children as the very centre, how do you go about making their special occasions extra special, like their birthdays? I mean if your toddler gets all your attention all the time, how is she going to know that this particular instance is extra special?
It’s not that difficult, fortunately, because all it requires really is for things to be slightly different to what they usually are, generally.
Something as simple as the universal ritual of singing “Happy Birthday” is often taken for granted, but it’s a powerful means through which to add that extra little bit of weight to the occasion and make it feel special.
What should be clear by now is that you should definitely celebrate milestones such as birthdays, even in the case of particularly young children who otherwise don’t seem to know what’s going on beyond the ordinary.
Luckily for you as well, at this stage you probably won’t have to think too long and hard about ideas for birthday gifts, but the special occasion should be made special through your invitation of other people who are important to your own life and to the life of your little one.
So put up the banners and placards, invite some people over, sing happy birthday and enjoy the occasion. Make a crown for the little man or woman of the moment and be sure they stand out in some or other way, from the rest of the gang. Besides, you only have one opportunity to celebrate each of those milestones.
