“Birthdays are huge in our house,” writes Samantha Darby. “I don’t mean huge like elaborate, over-the-top parties where I have a ‘balloon budget’ — I just mean we make a big deal out of it. The birthday person gets dinner of their choosing; I’ll make whatever cake they want or take them to pick one out; they get a whole birthday table set up in the morning with presents and decorations. Basically, they get a whole day that belongs to them, where they’re calling the shots.”

But that doesn’t mean the other siblings are totally on the sidelines, either. Read her argument for including them, too.

— Kelly Faircloth, Executive Editor

Literary sensation The Wild Robot is hitting the big screen with a new feel-good movie that’s essential theater viewing for kids and parents alike. The Wild Robot follows ROZZUM unit 7134 – aka “Roz” for short – a robot who’s been shipwrecked on an uninhabited island and must learn to adapt, building relationships with the island’s animals and learning what it really means to be alive. Themes of self-discovery and the connection between technology and nature come together to create this instant family classic featuring the voices of Lupita Nyong’o, Pedro Pascal, Kit Connor, Catherine O’Hara, and more. Only in theaters September 27.

“It’s hilarious to think about the term “screen time” when so many of us were raised on dial-up internet chatrooms and all-day television. The asylum that raised me? Nickelodeon,” writes Samantha Darby. Big, big same. “And let me tell you, ‘90s Nickelodeon shows — both live-action and cartoon — hold up extremely well, which is why I’m on the hunt to make the best list of Nickelodeon shows to share with tweens today.” You need this list!