“Your children need your presence far more than your presents.”  – Jesse Jackson

“A gift consists not in what is done or given, but in the intention of the giver or doer.”  - Lucius Seneca

I’ve been thinking a lot about birthdays lately since I just celebrated my own and look forward to the June birthdays of both of our grown sons.

Sharing special time together and evolving your family’s unique traditions for holidays and birthdays are important ways to honor and solidify the bonds of love and connection. Numerous studies have shown that consistent family routines and rituals are associated with improved children’s health, academic achievement, adolescents’ sense of personal identity, and stronger marital and parent-child relationships.

That being said–there is no research that says that the more money you spend, the greater the benefit.