Rebuilding the Blocks by Sarah Herring

As we celebrate 10 years of our family tradition, The Birthday Wall, my eldest, Sarah, wanted to share a new view on The Birthday Wall in connection to the time she spends playing blocks with her son, somewhat of a life analogy for the meaningful message The Birthday Wall so many times contains with her being the recipient, as well as creator of one for her son now too. Enjoy!

Rebuilding The Blocks

By Sarah Herring

A decade ago my Mother invented a birthday tradition called, "The Birthday Wall." 

In short, it's a wall of choice, created and decorated of special moments, favorite songs, sayings, movies, books, celebrities. It includes unforgettable nicknames and personalized sentiments.

Friends and family are warmly welcomed to participate which makes the Birthday Wall even more special and unique. It's a rewarding version of my own personal holiday. 

The Birthday Wall is a bit like building and re-building blocks for me. 

When I'm creating a "masterpiece" from building toy blocks with my son, I build, edit, revise, and re-build each creation to best connect with what he likes and what matters to him.

It's symbolic of his baby steps and stepping stones.

In parallel, The Birthday Wall does the same thing, starting with the basics. Over the years it has become more complex and relates exactly to my interests, hobbies, talents and ideas, right where I'm at.

The Birthday Wall says goodbye to one year and hello to the next one, refreshingly, artistically, with inspiration. 

It grows with me. It's never boring. It's always exciting. It brings out who I really am and nurtures the child inside me. 

The Birthday Wall defines validation, originality, refreshment, nurture, acceptance, new ideas; loving your child to their core. 

It is what helps me define the entire year: my goals, aspirations, progress, expectations, and dreams for the future. It's also something priceless I have passed down a generation to my own child. 

There are no limits to The Birthday Wall's creativity, meaning and purpose. 

From young to old, It is a perfect present for anyone, in all of it's dimensions. 

Birthday Party for All Children

I always love to share good news, especially Birthday news. How about a teenager who wants all children to have a birthday like she always has. Meet Sarah Wolford, 16 years, who has a passion to help kids get the treats and excitement a birthday party can provide through Birthday in a Box. Her story is inspiring and kind, just the sort I love to share here on The Birthday Wall blog.

The Birthday Wall can also be a  similar celebration, only on the wall (or in a notebook as one friend did) which can provide a special child a gift of validation to let them know how special they are. You can keep it as simple or fancy as you want to make it.

If you do provide such a delight, please let me know; I'd love to share your story right here to inspire others!

A Big Brother: The Best Birthday Surprise!

It can be fun to plan a surprise party for your child, especially with all the planning that goes into not letting on about the party as you plan. But it can take on an even more interesting vibe when there's a BIG Brother coming home from deployment to surprise his little brother for his birthday. This inspiring birthday story is sure to touch your heart, especially from a Mom's point of view.

We all want our child's birthday to be a special as we can make it. Sometimes another family member that your child loves can make their birthday even more special. Be sure to include important memorabilia on your child's birthday wall to commemorate a special occasion such as being reunited with a loved one who is off to war. Family can truly make a birthday the best ever!

Create a Birthday in a Box!

Sometimes the best life experience comes from when you do something terrific for someone else. A birthday is often a great reason to celebrate another person, especially when they might need a pick-me-up. "Ziva" at Help Others dot org shares a wonderfully inspiring birthday story with details of a birthday box she put together for a friend. It's actions like these that make the world a better place.

The Birthday Wall is a terrific way to boost the esteem of your child as you look to make their day as special and authentic as it can be. I share many ideas, from themes to messages, with how you can share with your child from the heart and really make a lovely, lasting memory.

Raggedy Ann and Andy Adds Whimsy to a Celebration

When I was a child, I had my room decorated with Raggedy Ann and Andy. I just loved those dolls and everything that came with them. That's why when I saw this party theme, I just had to share it with you!

Abby Snyder has twins, boy and girl, who just celebrated their first birthday, and she shares her party prep story with how she came up with her theme idea, where she found many of her decorating ideas, and also displays several adorable photos to showcase the party and her twins' fun that day.

Abby actually hangs a picture banner by the fireplace that reminded me of The Birthday Wall family tradition I have used to celebrate my daughters' birthdays for nine years. Perhaps her display will inspire you with ideas for your child's next birthday wall.

I love the whimsy Raggedy Ann and Andy creates with such a fun, lovable theme. You can create one too, with a custom created Birthday Wall for your child.

Themed Inspiration: A Penguin Party!

I thought this penguin themed party was the cutest, from the decorations to the cupcakes and then some. But I think what inspired me most about Noah's First Birthday Party: Penguin Style was the celebratory aspect of friends and family for this one-year-old named Noah with his parents, Abby and Rick. This was the perfect birthday story of how one life can change another for the better in ways that are just awesome and wonderful.

This post truly inspired me with the application of what makes a child truly special--one of a kind--in reference to The Birthday Wall and how we can show this clearly as a visual in ways that help our children understand how much we love and appreciate them. Noah's story is a perfect example.

Reconnecting with My Son through The Birthday Wall

Reconnecting with My Son through The Birthday Wall

By Sarah Joyce Bryant

My seven-year-old son, Cody, was hospitalized in a residential psychiatric treatment facility for eight months. There were two months when his aggressive behavior was so severe it was determined he was not safe to come home for his bi-weekly weekend visits. We were left with ten minute phone calls each night, and two hour visits every other weekend. The unique bond that we had shared suffered tremendously. Cody refused to take my phone calls, and when I came to visit he was distant, not the loving, cuddly boy I knew. I believed because of his Asperger’s, I had just become a person who visited him, not someone he really knew and loved. He started to call me by my first name. I was no longer mommy. 

Cody’s birthday was coming up, so I started reading “The Birthday Wall: Create a Collage to Celebrate Your Child” by Dawn Herring. Herring focuses on learning what is important to your child and what your child loves and making a beautiful birthday banner that celebrates your child using the things you’ve discovered. Displaying the banner on their birthday shows that you know who they are and you are listening. It is a keepsake for them, something they can look back on years from now and have a sense of who they have been and who they are now. I didn’t get a chance to make a birthday wall for Cody the way Herring suggested, but her book sparked an idea. Instead of making a birthday wall that Cody wouldn’t be able to display in the hospital, I decided to put it all into a binder with each page depicting a special time we had spent together over the last year or something special about him.

Cody with his Birthday Wall Binder

Cody's Favorite Things in his Birthday Wall Binder

The day I brought him the binder, his entire face lit up. He went through each page and read all about himself and his family. It was the first time in months he spent the entire visitation with me. He was so proud of it that he walked around showing all the staff. It was a reminder to him that I loved him, that I was listening to him, and that I knew who he was. Our relationship changed after that. He started taking my phone calls again. He started to call me mommy again. He had something beautiful to look at every day that was all about him, but that also served to remind him of his family and the times we had spent together and how much we loved him. He still goes through the binder even though he is at home now. Each time he has the same reaction of pure joy.

I am so appreciative to Dawn Herring for creating such an amazing book that helps parents celebrate their children. I am so grateful that it had such a positive impact on my son when nothing else seemed to work. He needed me to SHOW him that I loved him because words were not enough.

Editor's Note: This story was shared by Sarah Joyce Bryant who purchased my e-book, The Birthday Wall: Create a Collage to Celebrate Your Child; she took the idea of the Birthday Wall display and put it in binder form for her son. This shows there are different approaches you can take with The Birthday Wall and create a wonderful, self-esteem inducing effect for your child. Thanks to Sarah for sharing her story for her son Cody.