This episode may contain explicit language.

Welcome to Karen Feeding, the show where we parent together.

I'm Jamila Lemieux, a writer, contributor to Slate's Karen Feeding parenting column, and mom to Naima, and we live in Los Angeles.

I'm Zach Rosen. I make another podcast. It's called The Best Advice Show.

And I am Dad to Noah, who's seven, and Ami, who's four.

We live in Amsterdam.

I'm Elizabeth Newkamp.

I write the family travel blog, Dutch Dutch Goose.

I'm the mom to Henry who's 13, Oliver who's 10, and Teddy who's 8.

We live in Tokyo, Japan. Today we're answering a question

about how to throw a birthday party for older kids. This member of the Slate Parenting Facebook

community knows how to throw a good party for little kids, but teens are a whole different thing.

So we'll offer up some suggestions for how to celebrate a quiet, nerdy 15-year-old.

And after that, we'll talk about some other frequently asked birthday questions and share what

we think makes for a good birthday party. So let's get going. We're going to take a quick

break, but we'll see you back here in a minute for our question.

Okay. take a quick break, but we'll see you back here in a minute for our question. Hey, y'all, it's Elizabeth. I've got a podcast recommendation for you. It's called

Sold a Story. You might remember we had Emily Hanford on Karen Feeding when Sold a Story first came

out. It sparked such a powerful response because so many parents and teachers

were realizing just how broken reading instruction has been for so many kids. Well, there's an update.

Some new episodes just dropped, and they're just as compelling. They take you inside a school district

that's been getting it right, teaching nearly every kid to read year after year for more than two decades. It's not magic, but it's the kind of story that's been getting it right, teaching nearly every kid to read year after year for more than

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