Develop guidelines for birthday celebrations in schools — Psychologist
A Clinical Child Psychologist, Mrs Ethel Obeng-Treve, has asked school authorities to develop guidelines for birthday celebrations in schools.
The guidelines, she said, would provide a template for a uniform celebration of birthdays in schools to prevent extravagant ceremonies that could have a negative impact on children.
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Speaking in an interview, Mrs Obeng-Treve said the celebrations should be modest and child-centred to create memories suitable for child growth and development.
For instance, she said, giving the celebrant a birthday card or hat designed by the class and making merry would be enough to create lasting memories for children.
With such uniform celebration, she said children who did not celebrate birthdays because of religious or cultural reasons would not feel isolated or develop low self-esteem when others in their class celebrate theirs.
Mrs Obeng-Treve noted that children attached great importance to birthdays and, therefore, when the celebrations were handled well, it would have a positive impact on their lives.
Advantages She said the guidelines would help build stronger bonds among classmates as they participated in activities, created memories, and promoted solidarity and friendship among them.
“Celebrating birthdays in school could also boost the celebrant’s confidence because acknowledging a child's birthday in the presence of their peers could positively impact their self-esteem and confidence.
They also feel valued and special, reinforcing their sense of self-worth and nurturing a positive self-image,” she pointed out.
Mrs Obeng-Treve noted that celebrating birthdays in school contributed to the development of the child’s social skills and emotional well-being by providing opportunities for him or her to interact, communicate and collaborate in a joyful and festive setting.
Drawbacks
According to Mrs Obeng-Treve, if the guidelines were not developed, some parents would go overboard with the celebration which could affect other children whose parents were unable to do the same for them on their birthdays.
For instance, she said, if unregulated, birthday celebrations could bring about exclusion and inequality in the classroom. This is because inconsistent or unequal recognition of birthdays might lead to feelings of exclusion among those who did not receive the same or even similar level of celebration, leading to a sense of disappointment and hurt.
“Children, whose parents have personal or cultural reasons for not celebrating their birthday might suffer from emotional sensitivity since the public acknowledgment of others in the presence of their classmates might trigger some discomfort or even distress,” she said.
Mrs Obeng-Treve noted that most of the time, unregulated birthday celebrations resulted in some parents or guardians going all out during such celebrations to give expensive gifts such as designer bags, toys, big cakes, treats, and over-the-top decorations.
That, she said, could put a financial burden on families who could not afford them, leading to comparisons, low self-esteem, anxiety, undue stress, or a feeling of inequality among the schoolchildren.
She noted that depending on the extent and duration of birthday celebrations, they could disrupt classroom routines and impede learning time.
“Birthday celebrations can generate negative peer pressure and social expectations among children because those who cannot afford extravagant celebrations or have different preferences may be compelled to conform or face social judgment,” she pointed out.
Mrs Obeng-Treve advised children to stop putting pressure on their parents to celebrate their birthday for them since birthday celebrations did not define them, adding that “you are more than enough and you are special every single day.”
Celebration
She urged school authorities to make birthday celebrations in schools more fun by engaging in activities that highlight each child's uniqueness or by posting the child's name or birthday on a noticeboard or school calendar so that every child is remembered on their special day.
Mrs Obeng-Treve recommended that for a successful and child-centred celebration, parents and school authorities should have an outline of how birthdays are to be celebrated to ensure that everyone was aware of the requirements and expectations.
