Alternatives to Celebrating Jehovah's Witness birthday

[MishOC]

I have been given a case study where Joseph''s family are Jehovah Witnesses and do not want the service to celebrate Joseph's birthday.
The service usually make a special deal of each of the children on their birthday, inviting them to be king or queen for the day and singing 'Happy Birthday' in different languages.
We have been asked to come up with 2 alternative strategies to ensure this child (whose family has asked that we do not celebrate his birthday) feels welcome and accepted. We also need to include the source we used.

Does anybody have any ideas? or sources they can direct me to?

Would it be suitable to do the same celebration with Joseph but NOT on his birthday - obviously singing a different song to 'Happy Birthday', but still giving him opportunity to be king or queen for the day?

[Lorina]

If his family doesn't celebrate Joseph's birthday then you are required to respect the families wishes... Instead on his birthday Joseph could be given a "special helper badge" and help educators with special jobs throughout the day such as setting up the table for lunch, getting activities ready, helping get cups from the kitchen etc. Joseph could also be chosen to select the "story for the day" and throughout the day choose a particular activity to play with... The "special helper badge" could be included on all children's birthdays. A calander could be used and each child's birthdays could be written on the calnder... at the beginning of each day you could say something like "our special helper for the day is Joseph"... Ensuring each child gets to have a turn as the "special helper" on their birthday...

Hope this gives you an idea!

,
Lorina

[Lorina]

Just wanted to add - in my family we don't make a big deal over birthdays. Yes, it's a special day because it's the day you were born but I don't believe all the big hype! I think sometimes friends and families have certain expectations about how birthdays should be celebrated and if it doesn't happen then it seems the whole day is ruined and as the birthday child you feel let down. For the past 3 years (I have a 3 year old) for my daughter's bday we buy her new clothes to wear for the day, offer sweets to family, buy her new jewellery (earrings), go to the temple and take her out for the afternoon. We don't have parties or cut a cake... It's just not our thing...

I guess each family has different ways of celebrating birthdays and just thought I'd share what my family does...

,
Lorina

[MishOC]

Thanks so much for this wonderful idea.
I love your 'helper for a day' idea because I feel it is important for children to realise the importance and experience the joy of 'thinking of others' and 'serving' others even on their birthday.
I do celebrate birthdays with my children and we often have multiple celebrations around the time -family, friends, & extended relations, we do have cake, we do give gifts and thank God for gifting them to us, but they still need to do their chores that day, help to prepare for their celebrations, and have been most blessed on occasions when they have had opportunity to choose to sacrifice or postpone their celebrations due to someone else having a need or unwell.
I was made to feel like 'the most important person in the world' each of my birthdays throughout my childhood. I cried for the first few birthdays after getting married, wondering if my husband really loved me, since through his childhood he was lucky to even receive a card on his birthday or have it acknowledged much at all (not due to any religious convictions). My expectations had been set in an unhealthy way.
I think what you do with your daughter is a beautiful balance! I hope others are inspired by reading about what you do. I wish I had read it 16 years ago and thought more about how I celebrate with my children.

I really appreciate your help with this question on my assignment.

Michelle

[MishOC]

Another idea that I had come up with was celebrating the anniversary of when Joseph started at the service, - rather than his birthday.
He could be invited to be king or queen for the day.
We could make up a simple song about "we are glad you are in our class" for the children to sing and enjoy learning it in other languages.

Michelle

[Lorina]

Thanks so much for this wonderful idea.
I love your 'helper for a day' idea because I feel it is important for children to realise the importance and experience the joy of 'thinking of others' and 'serving' others even on their birthday.
I do celebrate birthdays with my children and we often have multiple celebrations around the time -family, friends, & extended relations, we do have cake, we do give gifts and thank God for gifting them to us, but they still need to do their chores that day, help to prepare for their celebrations, and have been most blessed on occasions when they have had opportunity to choose to sacrifice or postpone their celebrations due to someone else having a need or unwell.
I was made to feel like 'the most important person in the world' each of my birthdays throughout my childhood. I cried for the first few birthdays after getting married, wondering if my husband really loved me, since through his childhood he was lucky to even receive a card on his birthday or have it acknowledged much at all (not due to any religious convictions). My expectations had been set in an unhealthy way.
I think what you do with your daughter is a beautiful balance! I hope others are inspired by reading about what you do. I wish I had read it 16 years ago and thought more about how I celebrate with my children.

I really appreciate your help with this question on my assignment.

Michelle

Thanks Michelle for sharing how you celebrate birthdays with your family! It's good to hear that your children still don't get out of the regular routine! Although I'm sure they will be very excited and get their chores done extra quickly that day! LOL!

Our expectations on our family and friends regarding birthdays and other occasions are what really makes us feel like crap if it doesn't go as we expected. No expectations means no disappointments. It depends on each individual regarding their expectations of each and every situation... Argh! It's hard being a woman!

Thanks - I like our daughters birthday celebrations at this stage and bringing my daughter up without "expecting" things she really is a happy child and is content with what she has. She never asks for anything when we go shopping, if we spend a lazy day at home she is happy to do that, she doesn't mind if things don't go according to plan... She is very adjustable and for a 3 year old that's saying something! Although when she starts school next year I'm expecting her views to change once she starts getting invited to birthday parties and interacting with her peers... Let's see!

Another idea that I had come up with was celebrating the anniversary of when Joseph started at the service, - rather than his birthday.
He could be invited to be king or queen for the day.
We could make up a simple song about "we are glad you are in our class" for the children to sing and enjoy learning it in other languages.

Michelle

I love this idea! The child could wear a crown and cape and you could even serve a royal afternoon tea!

Nice to share ideas with you!

,
Lorina