Miss Manners is struggling to navigate the social dynamics of a birthday party for her 3-year-old daughter, who she is planning for for her first birthday party. Last year, she invited only friends and their parents from her daycare to make it special for her, but the party lacked social value as it was a lot of preparation and was overshadowed by the daycare staff's presence. This year, they have chosen a children's venue and are carefully choosing who to invite, rather than asking every colleague and acquaintance. Manners suggest that using family events to network leads to awkward interactions, but focus should be on the children.