My son, Wesley, just turned 11, and my nephew, Seth, is 13. This year, we decided to celebrate their birthdays together, thinking it would be fun for the boys and simpler for both families.

For Wesley’s birthday, I did something I’d been saving for months to pull off.

I bought him the brand-new gaming system he’d been begging for since it was announced. As a single mom, that purchase was a stretch. I took extra shifts, skipped my own small treats, and even sold some old jewelry to afford it.