birthday – Offspring Magazine

Having your child’s birthday in lockdown can feel daunting but there are plenty of amazing ways to make it just as special.

Celebrating your child’s birthday in lockdown can seem like your options are limited when it comes to making it special and memorable. But there are many ways you can celebrate with a bang all whilst in the comfort of your own home.

1. Ultimate movie night

Family movie nights are a fan favourite but make it extra special with all the stops, by having a themed movie night including themed snacks, drinks, costumes and fairy lights! Let your child choose the movie and theme in advance so you can order ahead to make their birthday movie night extra special. Making your own personalised movie tickets is another great way to get them excited for the event and create that real cinema experience!

2. Themed treasure hunt

Think of this treasure hunt like pass the parcel! There are a fews ways to do this; you could hide the treasure and then play music to let them know if they’re hot or cold or you can create clues and hide the treasure all around the house. But make it fun with a theme, get everyone to dress up as pirates, detectives, robbers or whatever their heart desires! You can even make the treasure themed or it could be a fun way for them to find their birthday presents in the morning.

3. Decorations galore throughout the house

Surprise your child with a house full of decorations to give them a day to remember. You could fill their bedroom with balloons, hang streamers from their door, set up fairy lights around the house or even fill the entire house with balloons! Let your own imagination run wild and wake up your child with the coolest surprise ever.

4. Birthday message video from friends

Your child might be missing their school friends and family so organised in advance for everyone to record a special birthday message for them and then put it all together. If editing videos isn’t your thing there are many easy applications you can use, such as iMovie or apps like Splice and InShot. This is a great way to make your child feel loved by everyone they are missing.

5. Living room disco with extra lights

Children love a good disco party so why not make your own disco in the living room. All you need is music, costumes and lights! You can order disco lights, a disco ball, light projector or even LED lights from Kmart. It’s a good idea to pre-plan and order props and lights in advance to make sure they arrive in time.

6. Takeaway but make it fancy with a theme

Ordering your child’s favourite takeaway is a great way to give them a treat and avoid hours of cooking. There are so many easy ways to make it feel fancy with a theme by decorating the table, dressing up in your fanciest clothes and even creating menus for the table. You can do this with any kind of take away and let your child choose the theme in advance so you can order party hats, themed table decor or even a special costume. It also could be fun if you dress up as a waiter or chef to deliver the food to your at home restaurant.

7. Indoor camping

If you don’t have access to a backyard or if the weather isn’t looking good, indoor camping is an easy way to create a new world in your living room. If you have the space you could set up a tent or make a fort to sleep in, then grab some sleeping bags and lots of cushions to create an indoor camping getaway. You could even sleep under the stars and buy a star projector from Kmart to create that starry night feeling. There are plenty of fun snack ideas too, like roasting marshmallows on the stove, making smores or hot chocolates and telling campfire stories (but without the fire).

8. Drive by party

If you live in an area where it’s safe to do so you could organise a drive by party with school friends. This is a great idea where you can socially distance and say hi to friends your child might not have seen in a while. But if this isn’t possible, even setting up a zoom party with their classmates or family is a great way for them to have a chat and feel special.

9. A personalised message from a celebrity

This may seem a bit far fetched but you can order a personalised video from your child’s favorite celebrity using Cameo. You could choose a message from the original yellow Wiggle Greg, the new purple Wiggle John, there favourite sports player, musician or actor.

10. Make an ultimate birthday cake together

Having a birthday cake is one of the most exciting things for children and in their eyes the most important parts of their day. Making a cake as a family can be a great way to spend time together and get creative. To make sure you are prepared, get your child to draw their dream birthday cake beforehand and then come up with a concept together that is achievable. Order all the ingredients and extra toppings you might need to create their dream cake!

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BABIES

How your birth month affects your long-term health

By N/A July 10, 2021

While the scientific community has long discarded astrology as pseudoscience, scientific research suggests that your birth month has a lot more to do with your health than you might think.

The month a person is born can determine their likelihood to develop health conditions like heart failure or depression. A person’s zodiac sign can influence their health, not because their destiny is written in the stars, but because the time of year they were born influences their vulnerability to environmental factors, such as exposure to ultraviolet rays, vitamin D, temperature and seasonal viruses or allergies.

A study from the Columbia University Department of Medicine examined 1,688 different diseases and found 55 correlated with birth month, including asthma, ADHD, cardiac diseases, depression and bone diseases.

Findings showed that being born in certain months increased the risk of developing particular diseases. It isn’t all bad news, the study also found that certain months have a significant protective effect on health. For example, men born in June are 34 per cent less likely to suffer from depression and 22 per cent less likely to be diagnosed with lower back pain.

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Researchers emphasise that genetics and environmental factors such as diet, medical care and exercise are more likely to influence an individual’s chance of developing a disease. They also highlight that your exposure to seasonal factors during each month will vary depending on your location.

While your birth month will not solely determine your risk of developing a disease, examining trends will maximise the chances of protecting your health.

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PARENTING

Sydney school bans kids from handing out birthday invitations

By Sophie Phoon April 12, 2019

One school’s decision to ban kids from handing out birthday invitations in the playground has enraged parents across the country.

Mosman Public School in Sydney has banned children from handing out birthday invitations in the playground due to concerns that kids who are not invited will feel left out.

Parents will now have to “covertly” collect the email addresses of their children’s friends’ parents in order to send out e-invites, according to the Daily Telegraph. Children will also have to refrain from talking about their birthday plans at school.

The ban is allegedly the result of one child recently becoming distressed after not receiving an invitation to a classmate’s birthday celebration.

The Department of Education told Yahoo News that the decision came “at the request of parents, and in consultation with the school community.”

Parents across the nation have flocked to social media to weigh in on the new rule, with 87% of those polled saying that the school had gone too far.

Those in support of the move say that not receiving a birthday invite can be emotionally scarring for children, especially if they are the only ones not invited. They particularly focused on special needs children who are often on the receiving end of this type of rejection.

Others called the new rule “ridiculous”, with one woman saying the school was “creating a generation of sooks.” They claim that shielding children from rejection will only hinder their social development and keep them from building up a tolerance for disappointment. “We have to build resilient kids,” said one mum.

What do you think? Has the school gone too far, or have they made the right decision?

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