Chicago Couple Gives Their Two Kids the Exact Same “Gift of Time” Birthday Present Every Year

Birthday gifts usually change as children grow. A toddler might want toys, while an older child could ask for games, gadgets, clothes, or something else currently sitting at the top of their wish list. One Chicago couple has taken a very different route with their two children.

Julia Zaborowski-Casper and her husband, Phil Casper, have given their children the same meaningful birthday present for about a decade. Their “Gift of Time” does not arrive inside a box or require a shopping trip. Instead, each birthday child receives a full day of their parents’ undivided attention.

 

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The family started the tradition in 2016 when their daughter, Dorie, celebrated her first birthday. Julia and Phil had demanding careers, which made uninterrupted family time feel especially valuable. Rather than trying to make birthdays memorable through more presents, they decided to make their presence the main gift.

Their son, Jordan, later became part of the tradition as the family grew. Each child gets a birthday experience centered completely around them. The idea has remained simple over the years, but its meaning has grown as Dorie and Jordan have gotten older, the duo tell People.

The “Gift of Time” Started With a Personal Reason

Julia / IG / Julia’s approach to family time comes from experiences that shaped her life long before she became a parent. She lost her father when she was only 8 years old. Years later, she lost her mother when she was 34.

Those losses gave Julia a sharp understanding of how limited time with loved ones can be. Objects may survive for years, but shared moments often become the memories people carry most closely. That perspective eventually influenced how she and Phil wanted to celebrate their children’s birthdays.

The couple’s “Gift of Time” focuses on making the birthday child feel important for an entire day. Work and everyday distractions move into the background. Dorie or Jordan gets to enjoy something increasingly difficult for busy families to protect: uninterrupted time together.

The birthday child also gets a major say in planning the celebration. That freedom keeps the tradition from becoming a fixed annual routine chosen entirely by the parents. As the children change, the day can change with them.

Some birthday plans have involved familiar family attractions, including trips to the zoo or aquarium. Other requests have been much simpler. Those low-key choices have created the stories that stick around the longest. Jordan once wanted hot dogs for both lunch and dinner during his special day. It was hardly an expensive birthday request, but that did not make it forgettable. Julia has said her son still talks about that hot dog-filled birthday.

Their Birthday Tradition Changes as the Kids Grow

The “Gift of Time” has taken on a different meaning as Dorie and Jordan have grown older. Dorie is preparing for middle school, while Jordan is also moving into a new stage of childhood. Their interests, schedules, and ideas about a perfect birthday will naturally keep changing.

Julia sees those changes as a reason to continue the tradition rather than leave it behind. A day that once involved a zoo visit might eventually become something completely different. The structure remains flexible because the child, not the activity, stays at the center.

That flexibility could become even more valuable during the teenage years. Older children often have packed schedules involving school, friends, sports, hobbies, and other commitments. Parents can suddenly discover that family time requires far more planning than it did during early childhood.

Why the “Gift of Time” Feels So Valuable

Julia / IG / Modern family life can make undivided attention surprisingly difficult to find. Parents juggle jobs, errands, school schedules, household responsibilities, messages, and countless small demands.

Children may spend plenty of time around their parents without getting much time that feels entirely focused on them.

The Chicago couple’s tradition creates a clear break from that routine. For one full day, the birthday child becomes the priority. That kind of attention does not need an expensive setting because the value comes from the people sharing the experience.

There is also something refreshing about letting children decide what makes a day special. Adults may picture elaborate outings when planning birthdays, but children can have much simpler ideas. Jordan’s hot dog request shows how easily parents can overestimate what a memorable celebration requires.