Manage Expectations

- Dr. Richard C. Woolfson

Her birthday’s coming up and your 6-year-old is thinking back on previous classmates’ parties. Each bash is more lavish than the one before, but you have decided that it’s time to restore a sensible balance. Problem: Your child may not agree.

Birthday party envy means that she expects such extravagance every year. Her longing is partly driven by peer pressure. Peer acceptance is very important at this age: She wants to be part of the crowd, and dreads the thought of her party becoming a talking point among her friends because it was frugal. She also wants to reciprocate the generous hospitality she has received from others and may worry that a party on a budget might be interpreted as meanness.

Meet Me Halfway