Some people are very sensitive about their age as they get older. Some will always feel like a kid in an adult body no matter what their age.
When it comes to planning a 40th birthday, you have to tread carefully as you don’t know if you will do something offensive to make the person you are helping to celebrate.
On the other hand, your loved one may wonder why you don’t do something big for such a milestone birthday. The morale of the story is that you have to understand the birthday gal or guy very well for this particular birthday.
In this article, I will give you some do’s and don’ts to keep in mind when planning so you can be sure the celebrations go exactly as you hope as well as getting the perfect gift.
Gag gifts
People love to give gifts that make a joke at getting old or senile or thngs like that. 40th birthday shirts with some kind of joke on them are always popular. Sometimes raunchy, sometimes clever and witty, but almost always something that requires the recipient to have a good sense of humor.
Before you get that gift or something else that is funny, at least in your opinion, consider the way you’ve joked with your friend before. Do you often give each other a good natured ribbing about things for a laugh? If the answer is yes, then a gag gift will be fine.
If this would be considered out of the ordinary for you or them then you may want to consider how it will go down.
Out of the box events
A lot of people have bucket list things they want to do before they die. As we get older, some of these things can be on the extreme side. Think about how many people go skydiving when they are in their twilight years!
Gifting somebody with one of the types of events may seem like a good idea. And if you know your friend well enough, then you may already have heard from them about how they would like to do something like this.
In which case, it should be a good idea. But, be careful if you aren’t sure. You may think that your friend will want to go snowboarding, but they might feel awkward about doing something that will make them look silly if they don’t know what they are doing.
The same goes for something extreme. What if they don’t have a need for speed or an adrenaline rush? You may waste your money.
Downplay it or go all out?
This milestone may be a big deal to you, but to others, they may want to avoid it being a big deal. In some cases, they may opt for a more reflective or spiritual experience if they are suddenly feeling their mortality.
Gauge their reactions by asking some questions leading up to the date so you get an idea of which way they are leaning for celebrating.
