By India McCarty
For Erin and Ben Napier’s daughters, birthdays are a lowkey affair — and for very good reason.
“Our rule is, until they’re old enough to plan it themselves, it’s supper at grandparents,” Ben told TODAY.
Erin added, “If your 4-year-old’s birthday party looks like a wedding, what do they have to look forward to? Maybe this is an unpopular opinion, but I think there’s a lot of moms out there who feel the same way I do.”
The couple recalled attending parties that were “stressful and loud,” with “100 kids running around, losing their minds.”
“I was like, ‘We’re not doing this,’” Ben said.
Related: Erin Napier Reveals Why Her Daughters Won’t Have Smart Phones, Social Media
That doesn’t mean that birthdays aren’t celebrated, though. For youngest daughter Mae’s 4th birthday party this spring, Erin threw her a Christmas-themed party for her and her cousins.
Meanwhile, Ben is a huge birthday cake fan, as his mother “always made homemade birthday cakes,” Erin explained, adding that she carries on the tradition — with some help from box mixes.
Erin recently revealed an exciting change for her daughters; she has decided to homeschool Mae and Helen, 7.
“Homeschool was our dream from the day Helen was born, but work was busy then Mae was born and we just kept saying ‘someday we will,’” Erin wrote in a since-deleted Instagram post. “After 3 years at an amazing little school, the dream wouldn’t leave me alone and we weren’t ready to let this summer of being together and having fun end. So, here we go. My painting studio became a classical school overnight.”
The Napiers have been vocal about the commitment to putting their daughters first, even with their busy schedules.
“It’s tricky once your kids are in school, but they’re our first priority,” Erin told PEOPLE. “I mean, we love doing this and it’s a privilege, but we don’t ever want our girls to say, ‘Mom and Dad were just gone when we were growing up.’”
In a 2021 interview with PEOPLE, Erin shared that she created a rule for the couple: they would work “normal” hours, 8-5.
“I really don’t want someone else to raise them. I want us to be 100 percent a part of their life,” she said.
While the Napiers’ birthday rule might strike some as strange, the couple’s smaller, family-oriented parties are sure to create special memories for their daughters.
Read Next: Erin Napier Reflects on Daughters Growing Up: Saw a ‘Last Time’
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