Doing less may actually do more for children’s celebrations

My own child was still a baby when I got invited to the birthday of the little neighbour girl turning six. Until that day, I hadn’t thought much about this new generation of birthday parties. Like most parents, I didn’t go to kids’ birthday parties until I had kids. When I was little birthday parties were simple affairs: my brother, sister, and myself eating a cake that my mom made, with one present to open afterwards.