<p>I know there must be old threads on this, but I’m also guessing I’m not the only person struggling with what to do when D celebrates her birthday at college without us there, so I thought a new thread might have some use. Because older S has a summer birthday, he has continued to get the traditional “cake” (i.e., celebratory food of his choice) and a modest amount of presents; D will expect something that she can consider equivalent, as they do keep score.</p>
<p>How do other families handle birthdays for children away at college? Send something, and if so, what types of things? Celebrate when they come home? Some combination of the two? (Anything involving a trip to her college on or around the date is not on the choice list.)</p>
<p>We ship things, and for the past two years have recruited roommates/friends to receive packages ahead of time, decorate D’s door, etc. The first year I baked brownies and decorated them (easier to ship than a cake); the second year I used the dining hall’s cake service. </p>
<p>D’s abroad this fall so I’m having to rethink the whole process myself!</p>
<p>My daughter has a summer birthday, and so far she has not spent a summer away from home, so nothing has changed.</p>
<p>My son’s birthday is near Spring Break, so when he was in college, we would celebrate it when he came home for the break. This didn’t work in his senior year, when he spent Spring Break visiting graduate schools, so I skipped the cake and dropped off his presents before he left on his trip (do-able because his college was less than an hour from home). Now that he’s at graduate school on the other side of the country and won’t be coming home for Spring Breaks, I guess it’s time to get used to sending him birthday gifts and treats by mail or ordering them online to be shipped to him, just as I do with out-of-town relatives. It will feel weird, though.</p>
<p>We put extra money in their checking accounts. I have boys who are very “no frills” about that kind of thing though. They are very happy to get the extra money and be able to spend it however they choose.</p>
<p>Last year as a freshman we sent DD a package that had a cookie the size of a pizza and everything in the box for a party including plates, napkins, party blowers, games, etc. . (I actually used 2 aluminum pizza pans to make the container.) We sent flowers separately. </p>
<p>This year we let her use the credit card to go out to dinner with friends. She’ll be home for fall break soon and we’ll celebrate at home then. We have a great family tradition of just moving holidays to when we can celebrate them instead of fixating on days. So it works.</p>
<p>I arranged to have a birthday cake delivered to my son when he was a freshman living in the dorm. I called the local big grocery store which I knew sold cakes and was glad to learn that they delivered for a small extra fee. It was a big hit with everyone. (I sent up plasticware and paper plates ahead of time as this wasn’t a surprise, but I probably could have had that delivered as well.)</p>
<p>My daughter’s birthday was on the second day of school this year, in her freshman year. We left a couple of packages with her when we dropped her off and she opened them at different times during the day to spread it out :-). I mailed brownies using the postal service’s priority fixed rate package deal.</p>
<p>Even though she was new at school, she said lots of people wished her a happy birthday (they were told about it by the dorm resident assistant on her floor) and she had a great day.</p>
<p>My parents sent me a HUGE box of stuff from home (Including my very own Nintendo Wii! O<em>O) the Friday before my b-day, and on my actual b-day sent me a little stuffed bear and balloons. I still have them on my desk almost a month later. ^</em>^</p>
<p>Luckily for us, our d’s school has a parent’s club in town through which cakes can be ordered and delivered.</p>
<p>Other than that, I sent a couple small gifts via mail plus a gift certificate for tickets to a ballet performance that I knew she would want to see. Perhaps the same could be done with movies, sporting event, etc?</p>
<p>Son was home the weekend before his birthday freshman year, we did the cake and presents then, probably last year, also. He isn’t big on the hoopla it seems so I still don’t know what to do this year. I have requested gift ideas, he needs to respond to my email… I may find out what his apt mates may want to do this year. It becomes harder as they communicate less, come home less and generally want parents out of their life. If I pay as much attention to his as he does to ours, I’m off the hook… Check for free email cards online- there are some fun animated ones you can send on the day even if you send a card beforehand.</p>
<p>On my son’s 21st birthday I had about 25 boxes of Krispy Kream donuts sent to the fraternity house. You can find a local Krispy Kream on line. They deliver and it’s not expensive.</p>
<p>At older D’s school, there was a woman who lived near the campus who had a party business. You could order the cake on line and other little items, if you so desired. She would deliver your order to your student. D said the cakes were wonderful and she included pary plates and napkins D liked getting a homemade cake. H would send her money to take a few friends to dinner and she would get a nice check in her card to shop for her birthday. She really enjoyed that!</p>