text: """ birthdate handler function. called, when user arrives at birthdate state """
  
  # imports
  from telegram import (ReplyKeyboardMarkup, ReplyKeyboardRemove, KeyboardButton, Update, replykeyboardremove)
  from telegram.ext import CallbackContext
  from logEnabler import logger;
  
  
  from handler_functions import states
  from handler_functions.database_connector.insert_value_db import insert_update
  from handler_functions.validation import validate_birthdate
  
  
  # Stores the information received and continues on to the next state
  def birthdate(update: Update, context: CallbackContext) -> int:
  
      if validate_birthdate(update.message.text): # if entry is valid, continue.
  
          logger.info(f'Birthdate of {update.message.from_user.first_name} {update.message.from_user.last_name}: {update.message.text}')
  
          insert_update(update.message.from_user.id, 'birthdate', update.message.text)
  
          update.message.reply_text(
              'Great age!\n\n',
              reply_markup=ReplyKeyboardRemove(),
              )
  
          update.message.reply_text(
              states.MESSAGES[states.EMAIL],
              # reply_markup=states.KEYBOARD_MARKUPS[states.EMAIL], # TODO: reactivate once debugged 
              reply_markup=ReplyKeyboardRemove(),
              )
  
          # save state to DB
          insert_update(update.message.from_user.id, 'state', states.EMAIL)
          return states.EMAIL
  
      else: # else, tell user and stay in current state until correct entry is provided.
          update.message.reply_text(
          f'Sorry, that\'s not a valid entry. Please try again.',
          # reply_markup=states.KEYBOARD_MARKUPS[states.BIRTHDATE], # TODO: reactivate once debugged 
          reply_markup=ReplyKeyboardRemove(),
  
          )
  
  
  # Skips this information and continues on to the next state
  def skip_birthdate(update: Update, context: CallbackContext) -> int:
      logger.info(f'No birthdate submitted by {update.message.from_user.first_name} {update.message.from_user.last_name}.')
  
      # insert_update(update.message.from_user.id, 'birthdate', '0')
  
      update.message.reply_text(
          'I wouldn\'t want to talk about my age either... ;)\n\n',
          reply_markup=ReplyKeyboardRemove(),
          )
  
      update.message.reply_text(
          states.MESSAGES[states.EMAIL],
          # reply_markup=states.KEYBOARD_MARKUPS[states.EMAIL], # TODO: reactivate once debugged 
          reply_markup=ReplyKeyboardRemove(),
          )    
  
      # save state to DB
      insert_update(update.message.from_user.id, 'state', states.EMAIL)
      return states.EMAIL
  