The nursery is nearly finished, the crib is built and there’s a bassinet waiting to rock right next to my bed.

Frazzled parents of young children, breathe easy. According to economist and parenting author Bryan Caplan, the benefits of having kids are greater than they seem. Take his advice, and resolve to stop working so hard at parenting the “right” way this year.

New York City is the theater capital of the world—and that goes for children’s theater, too—with more than ten well-established companies producing Broadway-like entertainment for kids of all ages. Offering on-stage specialties ranging from modern adaptations of fairytales to cutting-edge fun, no two companies are quite alike—and they are all worth getting to know.