Children think birthday parties cause aging.

Photo: flickr/OlgaIf you have been around young kids, you have likely heard some of their interesting--and surprising-- interpretations of everyday events, often arrived at because no one ever thought to explain things otherwise. Here's a prime example: according to this study, young kids (age 3-5) in America apparently think that birthday parties actually *cause* you to get older. If only this were actually true - then I would just keep having my 25th birthday party forever!Now I’m 3: Young Children’s Concepts of Age, Aging, and Birthdays "In two studies, we examined 99 3- to 5-year-old American children’s concepts of age, aging, and birthdays. Previous research has shown that preschool-age children understand that all living beings grow, and that growth is a biological process. Humans, however, are distinct from other living things in that we attach great significance to the aging process. Specifically, in Western cultures, we have an annual ritual ...