Let’s face it, our lives have definitely been changed by the COVID-19 outbreak, and for parents, watching their kids cooped up at home these past few months hasn’t been an easy feat. Recently, Beijing mom Ronja Dygas started the idea of sending birthday cards and gifts to kids, because every child deserves to celebrate their birthday and feel special.
Getting involved is simple and everyone is welcome to join in. Scan the QR code to be added to the WeChat group. If you have (or know of) a child whose birthday’s coming up and could use a bit of cheer, let the group know. That’s when the Beijing community comes together to make cards and handcrafted gifts to send over to the birthday girl or boy.
Intrigued by the idea, we spoke with Dygas about where the inspiration for Birthday Mail came from, and her unique love of all things birthdays!
Please tell us a bit about yourself.
Hi, I am Ronja. Currently, I am a stay-at-home mom in Beijing with my husband, my daughter Laila who will turn 3 in May, and my son Mika who will be celebrating his first birthday in June.
Where did the idea for Birthday Mail come from?
I was always excited about birthdays. As a child I was, of course, excited about my own, and when I grew older I loved birthdays of friends and family members. I always try to find the perfect gift or to plan a great party. I just love to spread joy and make the birthday person smile.
Since becoming a mom I love to plan great birthdays for my kids with all their friends, balloons, cake, and lots of fun.
This year it’s different. During the time of this new Coronavirus we practice social distancing, and many friends are still stuck overseas or might be in quarantine. I saw this idea on German social media, about sending kids wishes on their birthday and I thought this could work in Beijing too.
I love the idea of sending a child we don’t personally know some birthday wishes to make them feel special. Everybody deserves to feel special on their birthday.
Are the kids excited to get this birthday mail?
The group is very new, with just a handful of people. We don’t know yet. But I hope so.
Can anyone get involved in the group?
Sure! There are no special skills needed. You don’t even need to have children. You just need to love making a child feel special on their special day.
I hope the group grows bigger and kids get some really nice mail so they can look back later and say “Wow, this was really the most special day in my life“ 🙂
Photos: Courtesy of Ronja Dygas, unsplash