Or both because we can! And some of us do!

Some Leap Day Babies pick a day out of the year not in February or
March. They choose what day will be their birthday that year.

When it comes to celebrating at a birthday party, the frog is the big deal.
So are leaping lizards. Getting the child items that reflect their Leapness
is always fun. You can find some fun items in the LEAP THIS shop.

Now, when it comes to getting a free meal at a restaurant, or
something like that, it is the managers call. I have heard of many
Leap Day babies who played the Leap Day Card and did win.
They got the free meal, or they got to get in free, or they received
the discount. It's usually up to the manager.

The argument? The 29th is not there, and we're just talking about
a meal, or a good time. It's simply fun. And some people can
actually see the fun in this. Which is cool.

Please don't say things like, "If you don't do your chores your birthday
wont be on the calendar next year and you wont get a birthday!"
That is just mean.

This is your child, who believes you, trusts you and takes what you say
as truth. Please don't use their birth date against them. They need you
on their side as someone who 'gets it' when others don't.

Please continue to explain to them why their birth date is not there, until
they are of an age they can understand. Learn all you can about Leap Day
to make it easier on you, and your little Leapling.

When it makes sense to you, it will be easier to explain it to them.  And,
it's your extra day too, so why not know what it's all about?

Please don't make a big deal over them being "1" or "2" when they do
not want to be. They've already been 1 and 2.

If they are really excited about turning 4 and 8 or 12. Celebrate that.

Something like "You're turning 8 on your second birthday!" or "You'll
be 3 again on your twelfth birthday" might be good alternatives to use.

Do you see what I mean here? Allow them to be 4 and 8 while you
celebrate their Leapness. When they get older, and have a clearer
understanding of this day they were born on, they will appreciate it more.
 
And they'll appreciate it more if you made it a positive thing for them
when they were young.

There wasn't an 8th day where God said 'Let there be clocks and calendars in abundance'.  Someone
had to figure it out. Several people did. And then it took thousands of generations to perfect it. 

The calendar has been through many changes. It is now at its' most perfect, so they say. Some may
disagree, and that's OK. The point is, the calendar we use today; the device we use to keep track of
days, weeks, months and years, has been the way it is now for hundreds and hundreds of years.
There's a reason for that. We experience the seasons the same time every year. The seasons are in
the same set of months, every year. That is a big deal.

Think about this for a minute... If we didn't have an extra day to keep the calendar in sync with the
seasons, we would eventually have to celebrate holidays that happen in one season, in a totally
different season. In the parts of the world where Christmas is celebrated in the winter, it will eventually
end up being celebrated in the summer.

To plant, grow and harvest, we need dependable time frames we can count on. If we didn't have that
extra day to keep the season's lined up with the calendar, we would have a horrible time trying to
maintain our crops.

Leap Year Day was added to the calendar when February was the last month of the year. When
February was promoted to the second position of the calendar, it retained the responsibility of
keeping the calendar in line with the seasons.

It's because of that extra day, February 29, Leap Year Day, that the calendar is as perfect as it is.

How wonderful that is. How cool that we were born on such a great day in history. Not everyone
will agree with me, I know. And that's OK.

From the research I've done in the last 5 Leap Years (come on, how many years is that?) I've learned
that I was born on a day that represents something really cool. And that I have something unique
about me that not too many people have. That feels good. I'll admit it. It's neat. It's fun. It's cool even.

OK - it didn't feel good when I got teased in elementary school. My second grade teacher asked if we
knew someone born on February 29. I rose my hand and told her I was born on that day. She said,
right there in front of the class... "Oh you poor child" - Can you believe that?

Teachers today have so much more information about Leap Year than teachers in the past. But there
still might be an UnLeapified teacher lurking somewhere in a school district we might have missed. If
you know of one, give them our web address www.leapyearday.com.

So be aware, be Leap Year Day Aware, and make sure your child's teacher is too! Oh there are kids
who will sing "You don't get a birthday" in that sing-song style kids do so well. Or, say things like,
"You can't play with us, you're only a baby." But at least now, more than ever maybe, teachers,
students and parents will have a clearer understanding of what Leap Year is, and what Leap Day is,
and why. And from that I hope they will all think of it as I do. That it's a very cool day to recognize
in general, and it's a very cool day to be born on. 

So be patient with your Leap Day baby. Teach them what it is, why it is, and how special they are
for being born on a day in history that represents balance and harmony. And there is no competition
like other "holiday babies" experience. We are certainly a unique bunch of people and you can learn
more about Leap Year and Leap Day on this site. Check out the Teachers and Educators page for
fun facts and Leapified learning tools. I hope you will educate yourself on the subject, so you can
help your child understand what it means to be a Leap Day Baby.

I simply want to give you a Leap Day baby's perspective to
help you understand your child's Leapness.

Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or
comments regarding this subject. My email is here.