The Dreaded Christmas Birthday Combo Gift

Roweyn turns One two days after Christmas. So not only is it her First Christmas, it's her First Birthday as well. Which means a wishlist for both! (Wishlist to come in another post)


While pregnant I dreaded the thought of my baby being born anywhere near Christmas. I hoped so badly that she would be born sometime after New Years. But it didn't happen. I've accepted the fact Roweyn's Birthday is two days after Christmas, as much as I didn't want it to be, I know that I need to be okay with it so that she will be too. But....


I think it's horrible when people do a combo gift when a birthday is so close to Christmas. I tell people, "Well even though your birthday is in June I'm just going to give you a Christmas/Birthday Combo gift since that's what you did for my child and we can see how much you like it." I think it's extremely unfair to anyone that gets the dreaded combo gift. Christmas and Birthday are two completely different celebrations and should not be treated as the same thing. And if anyone tries to do that to Roweyn, I will tell them that their gift will be accepted for one or the other but not both. The only exception that I find is okay is when someone spends a great amount of money on the gift that would equal to two gifts or even more if that's what they choose. But that is the ONLY way I would accept a combo gift for Roweyn.


I also don't think it's okay for a Birthday gift to be wrapped in Christmas paper. Her birthday is not Christmas! If you don't want your present wrapped in Christmas paper then don't do it to anyone else! Don't be lazy, find some Birthday wrapping paper and wrap the gift properly!


Some people might not think it's an issue and that's their choice. And I certainly am not doing this to be greedy and get more gifts. Obviously, I'm saying this because everyone gets a Birthday and a Christmas so just because Roweyn's are close together and you may have to spend more money doesn't mean she should get the shaft. And I'm not pointing the finger at anyone, I just want people to know how I feel about this. 


I do not expect Roweyn to get both Christmas and Birthday presents from everyone. If you want to get her a gift for one or the other I am totally cool with that, I just feel like when you say its a Combo Gift it makes it sound like A) You didn't want to get her two gifts so you just combined one and say its for both, B) You're cheap and don't want to pay for two gifts, or C) You forgot that she has a Birthday right after Christmas and you only got her one gift, so you thought it sounded better to say its a Combo Gift to make it look like you didn't forget. I do not think it sounds better, so please for both our sakes don't say it!


As someone who personally has a birthday close to Christmas as well as two siblings who have birthdays close to Christmas, I know from experience what it's like to receive a Christmas/Birthday Combo gift. AND IT SUCKS!! My brother Trevor actually just had his birthday yesterday, the 15th, 10 days before Christmas. And my brother Kadin's birthday is the 27th, two days after Christmas. Yes, Roweyn was born on my brother's 32nd Birthday!


So because of my experience and my brothers throughout our childhood, I have made this decision as a parent for my child and children to come. I don't want them getting jipped.