# At what age did your children start getting birthday parties? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 14, 2018, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/at-what-age-did-your-children-start-getting-birthday-parties/814143 "2018-05-14T16:03:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2018, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/at-what-age-did-your-children-start-getting-birthday-parties/814143/1 "2018-05-14T16:03:33Z")
I’ve seen birthday parties for one-year olds, which imho is kind of pointless. Two isn’t much better- toddlers will go for the cake and presents but don’t really know what’s going on. I would say by four definitely; three, I don’t have the experience to say. What say you? ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2018, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/at-what-age-did-your-children-start-getting-birthday-parties/814143/2 "2018-05-14T16:09:48Z")
I remember my 2nd birthday party quite well. It was in Galveston, TX and my father was holding me in the ocean when he got knocked over by a wave and dropped me. That is basically how I learned to swim. I don’t think 2 years old is too young for a birthday party. Kids can walk and talk by then plus those little hats look cute on them. ---
**Author:** ![MandaJo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ac91a4/32.png) [@MandaJo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MandaJo)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2018, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/at-what-age-did-your-children-start-getting-birthday-parties/814143/3 "2018-05-14T16:12:47Z")
One-year old parties are celebrations for the parents: the first year is by far the most dangerous year of a child’s life, along with the biggest adjustment for the family. It’s also often the most stressful. We didn’t have a party when my son turned one, but I certainly understand that it’s a milestone worth marking. ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2018, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/at-what-age-did-your-children-start-getting-birthday-parties/814143/4 "2018-05-14T16:19:26Z")
I think the first non-family-only party we had for our daughter was when she turned 6. Because of where we lived, there weren’t kids nearby, so she didn’t have neighborhood friends. I would send treats with her to daycare and preschool so she could have a “party” with the kids she hung out with while I was at work. The first party we threw for her included some family friends and some of her kindergarten friends. ---
**Author:** ![Pleonast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pleonast/32/1183_2.png) [@Pleonast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pleonast)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2018, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/at-what-age-did-your-children-start-getting-birthday-parties/814143/5 "2018-05-14T17:00:35Z")
We had parties when they turned one year old. Great excuse to see friends again after your life has been taken over by an infant. At two and three, we invited all the kids in their daycare group. Fun to chat with other parents with kids the same age. Four was the first birthday party the kid got to choose who to invite. Six was the first birthday party that was drop off, instead of inviting parents and siblings. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2018, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/at-what-age-did-your-children-start-getting-birthday-parties/814143/6 "2018-05-14T17:04:57Z")
> [@MandaJo](#): > > One-year old parties are celebrations for the parents: the first year is by far the most dangerous year of a child’s life, along with the biggest adjustment for the family. > [@Pleonast](#): > > We had parties when they turned one year old. Great excuse to see friends again after your life has been taken over by an infant. That’s my thought. Maybe not so much “Congratulations on not accidentally killing your child” but it’s a chance for everyone to come and see the baby and visit the parents. I’d say around five or six for the first “invite the neighbor/school kids” sort of birthday party. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2018, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/at-what-age-did-your-children-start-getting-birthday-parties/814143/7 "2018-05-14T17:21:26Z")
No kids myself, but my nieces and nephews have all had “parties” since they were one. My brother’s kids have family-only parties until they are 7. My other nieces and nephews are all 5 and under still. ---
**Author:** ![MandaJo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ac91a4/32.png) [@MandaJo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MandaJo)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2018, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/at-what-age-did-your-children-start-getting-birthday-parties/814143/8 "2018-05-14T17:25:36Z")
> [@Jophiel](#): > > That’s my thought. Maybe not so much “Congratulations on not accidentally killing your child” but it’s a chance for everyone to come and see the baby and visit the parents. I’d say around five or six for the first “invite the neighbor/school kids” sort of birthday party. First year is dangerous for reasons beyond accidents. All kinds of things can go wrong in the first year. We are lucky enough to live in a world where most things can be dealt with, but it’s still a cause for celebration to make it through the first year. ---
**Author:** ![overlyverbose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/9dc877/32.png) [@overlyverbose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/overlyverbose)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2018, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/at-what-age-did-your-children-start-getting-birthday-parties/814143/9 "2018-05-14T18:00:59Z")
Both our kids had their first “real” birthday parties when they were four. At that age, they actually had an opinion they could articulate and were playing \*with \*friends rather than alongside whichever random kid happened to be there; before then, “parties” consisted of cupcakes and a few gifts at home, and maybe dinner with a couple of friends who also had kids, or family if they were in town. My sister, on the other hand, is this wonderful crafty lady who creates pinterest-worthy theme parties for my nephews regardless of age even though she works full time. I’ve always wanted to want to do that, but the nifty mom gene seems to have passed me by, replaced instead by the lazy, cheap mom gene. Luckily my kids are cheap dates still, even at 12 and 8. They seem happy enough being stuffed with pizza and cake as long as there is a sleepover and outside flashlight or laser tag involved. We have a huge wooded common area behind us, which is perfect for twilight battles before birthday slumber parties. ---
**Author:** ![black\_rabbit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f19dbf/32.png) [@black\_rabbit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/black_rabbit)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2018, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/at-what-age-did-your-children-start-getting-birthday-parties/814143/10 "2018-05-14T19:17:52Z")
One. That was for us, the grandparents, and a few close friends to celebrate the fact we’d made it 12 months without anything horrible happening. By two, our kid had already developed pretty close attachments with a few older cousins and kids from daycare, and she damn well knew it was her birthday and that there was going to be presents and cake. She spent the next six months asking when her next birthday was. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2018, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/at-what-age-did-your-children-start-getting-birthday-parties/814143/11 "2018-05-14T19:19:00Z")
We adopted the Firebug when he was a year and a half old, so we weren’t faced with a decision about a first-birthday party. But we gave him a party for his second birthday, and he had a blast. ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2018, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/at-what-age-did-your-children-start-getting-birthday-parties/814143/12 "2018-05-14T19:21:58Z")
We’ve been throwing parties for our kids since they turned one. Basically it’s just an excuse for family to get together. My son is almost 4 and he’s been getting invites to his classmates birthdays for the past year. ---
**Author:** ![Sattua](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sattua/32/11906_2.png) [@Sattua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sattua)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2018, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/at-what-age-did-your-children-start-getting-birthday-parties/814143/13 "2018-05-14T20:06:29Z")
We had family and friends over for her first birthday party, but as far as her inviting peers who are friends to do something to celebrate her birthday, the first one was six. That was the year that she was starting to get invited to other kids’ parties, so we decided it was time. ---
**Author:** ![Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hilarity_n.suze/32/6223_2.png) [@Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hilarity_N.Suze)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2018, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/at-what-age-did-your-children-start-getting-birthday-parties/814143/14 "2018-05-14T20:30:59Z")
The one-year party is for the parents and grandparents and friends. The two-year party is for parents and friends with other two-year-olds. Three-year party is for people in the play group/day care/nursery school or whatever socialization device you’re using–could be neighborhood kids but these days, probably not. Once they get in school you get into the more theme parties. Bouncy castles or destination parties. I have an about-to-be-four granddaughter who is about to have her first princess party, but she’s had a party every year. In both her first and second year parties she got icing in her eyes and cried. This is the first one where she’s driving the action. With my kids, it seemed there was a rule somewhere that you could invite as many kids as years old, and we flouted the hell out of that rule and pretty much did the opposite. Second grade, whole class invited to an amusement park (yeah, that was fun). Sixth grade, took a few friends to a Rockies game. Eighth grade, sleepover for two friends and they built a mancave. ---
**Author:** ![begbert2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/begbert2/32/3357_2.png) [@begbert2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/begbert2)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2018, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/at-what-age-did-your-children-start-getting-birthday-parties/814143/15 "2018-05-14T20:32:42Z")
I don’t have kids, but in my family we throw birthday parties for one-year-olds. The parties aren’t really for _their_ benefit, though - mostly they’re to celebrate the occasion.