“Happy Birthday, Now Move Over Santa: Surviving a December Kid Birthday”

“Happy Birthday, Now Move Over Santa: Surviving a December Kid Birthday”

Let’s take a moment of silence for all the moms who have birthed humans in the month of December. 🎄🎂

Girl, you are in the trenches. While the rest of the world is decking halls and baking cookies, you’re also trying to figure out how to throw a birthday party that doesn’t scream “also Christmas.” Spoiler alert: it’s impossible. But we try anyway.

I, too, have a December baby. Which means every year I’m walking the tightrope of “It’s your special day!” and “NO, you may NOT open your Christmas presents early.”

Let me break it down for you:

🎁 The Gift Dilemma

What I say: “We’ll make sure your birthday is completely separate from Christmas.”

What actually happens: I’m wrapping gifts in Paw Patrol paper because I forgot to buy non-holiday wrapping. Again.

And don’t even get me started on the relatives who say things like, “Here’s one big gift for BOTH your birthday and Christmas!” Excuse me, Aunt Carol, if you wouldn’t do that to a July birthday, don’t do it in December. We see you.

🎉 The Party Planning Circus

Every bounce house, party room, and kids' venue is either:

A) Booked by June

B) Closed for a “staff holiday break”

C) Hosting a Santa meet-and-greet, which completely hijacks your birthday theme.

You wanted “Under the Sea”? Surprise! It’s “Santa in the Sea” now.

🧁 The Holiday Hijack

You try so hard to make it feel birthday-y. You bake a cake, blow up balloons, and hang the Happy Birthday banner… but it’s right next to the inflatable reindeer and the Elf on the Shelf doing yoga on your mantel.

Even your Alexa refuses to play anything but Mariah Carey.

And God bless them, your child is trying to care about their birthday—but they’re also getting daily candy canes at school, rehearsing for the holiday program, and asking if they can wear their Christmas pajamas to their birthday party.

💆🏽‍♀️ Mom Survival Tips

So what’s a holiday-birthday-mom to do? Here are my best (half-serious) survival tips:

Get a birthday tree. Just decorate a mini tree in your kid’s favorite theme. Elsa, dinosaurs, Roblox, whatever. It’s ridiculous. They’ll love it.

Plan a party for January. Let them celebrate with family now, but host a full-blown bash in the new year when things calm down—and venues are cheaper.

Wrap gifts in neutral paper. Unless you want your child to ask why Santa brought their birthday gifts, too. Trust me on this one.

Double up on coffee. There’s no real solution. Just caffeine and prayers.

Mama, if you’re managing a December birthday, YOU ARE A HOLIDAY HERO.

You’re making magic happen on two fronts—and still remembering to move that dang Elf. Whether the balloons match the garland or not, your kid feels loved, seen, and celebrated. That’s what matters.

So raise your peppermint mocha and repeat after me:

“One month. Two miracles. Zero shame if I use the same cake twice.” 🍰

You’ve got this. And if not… there’s always next year.