Are Kids' Birthday Parties Out of Control?

In this episode of The Parent Chat, we’re talking kids’ birthday parties. Birthday season at Dylan Dreyer's house means a constantly morphing cake order (Ninjago is out, football is in), a calendar full of other kids' parties, and a lingering question: are kids' birthday parties just another arena for competitive parenting? Dylan gets honest about why she'd happily skip the big party, and what to do about "no gifts, please" invitations, gift-opening that's become a pile of bags, and a December birthday two days before Christmas.

Whether you're hosting, RSVP-ing late, or wondering what to bring, the takeaway is simple: make the day about the kid, not the Instagram.