Birthday Wishes for a Brother or Sister
Birthday messages for a brother or sister, with wording for close, teasing, older, younger and milestone-birthday relationships.
Read guideBirthday Messages & Card Wording
Birthday messages are easiest to write when you decide what you actually want the note to do: celebrate, reassure, make someone laugh, mark a milestone or say something you do not say often enough.
Before you write
Three useful questions
- Who is the message for?
- Is the milestone itself important?
- Should the note feel warm, funny, simple or reflective?
Published guides
12 guidesBirthday wording by situation
Birthday Wishes for a Coworker or Boss
Work-appropriate birthday messages for coworkers, colleagues and bosses, including funny and belated wording that stays within professional boundaries.
Read guideBirthday Wishes for a Friend
Birthday messages for close, longtime and newer friends, with milestone wording that keeps the focus on the friendship rather than the age.
Read guideBirthday Wishes for a Grandson or Granddaughter
Birthday messages for a grandson or granddaughter, from younger birthdays to adult milestones.
Read guideBirthday Wishes for a Husband, Wife or Partner
Birthday messages for a husband, wife or partner, with romantic, affectionate, lighthearted and milestone options.
Read guideBirthday Wishes for an Adopted Son or Daughter
Birthday messages for an adopted son or daughter that keep the focus on the person and the relationship, not on adoption as a label.
Read guideBirthday Wishes for an Estranged Son or Daughter
Low-pressure birthday messages for an estranged son or daughter, with wording that respects distance and boundaries.
Read guideBirthday Wishes for a Son or Daughter
Birthday messages for a son or daughter, with wording for teenage, adult and milestone birthdays in one practical guide.
Read guideBirthday Wishes for a Son or Daughter in Heaven
Birthday remembrance messages for a son or daughter who has died, with gentle wording for cards, posts or private reflection.
Read guideBirthday Wishes for Mum, Dad or a Stepparent
Birthday messages for Mum, Dad or a stepparent, from simple appreciation to milestone-birthday wording.
Read guideBirthday Wishes for Your Son's Girlfriend
Birthday messages for your son’s girlfriend that feel welcoming and warm without assuming a level of closeness that is not there.
Read guideWhat to Write in a Birthday Card
A practical way to fill a birthday card: how much to write, where to add a personal detail, and how to make the note feel complete without padding it out.
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