20. Some Assembly By a Genius Parent Required

The age guideline on toys might as well read ‘parental fortitude required’—a cryptic forewarning of the assembly odyssey that lies ahead. It’s an unwritten holiday law: the higher the recommended age, the more baffling the array of parts and instructions that sprawl across the floor.

In these moments, parents find themselves moonlighting as impromptu engineers. Sure, it’s a trial by fire, but the triumph over a particularly inscrutable set of assembly instructions is a badge of honor worn with weary pride long after the tree comes down.