Anonymous wrote:OP, I completely agree with you.
So many people complain that they already have "too much stuff." My question then is -- why are you buying your kid so much stuff? I have an idea for those people: don't buy anything for your kid this year. (and get rid of what you bought them last year, too, while you're at it.) I guarantee that when their birthday rolls around, they (and you) will suddenly be thrilled with anything and everything that is gifted to them. In doing so, you might even teach your kid to appreciate a gift and be open-minded about the various toys they can enjoy. If your child still acts like a selfish snob and feels like some toy is boring or not good enough, then you have yet another opportunity to teach them about giving stuff away.
The problem is that these families are lavishing their own children with everything the child wants, then when the party comes, get all control-freak on everyone and say that they don't want any gifts. I too used to be of this mindset and even had a no-gift party for my kid once. Then I realized that I was the bigger problem of accumulating too much stuff in our lives, not the yearly birthday party.
This is total crap. It's not a reflection on the parents. It's a reflection on you being so self-centered that you can't understand why a family might not want gifts from your kid.
I don't buy my kid everything she wants but she already gets a ton of hand me downs from cousins and presents from grand ma. She's 4 years old - how much stuff does she need?!! We always appreciate gifts but the idea of having a ton more stuff every birthday (and she's only going to play with most of it for, um 30 - 60 minutes), is ridiculous. Birthdays are a time to celebrate the birthday kid and it doesn't always have to include presents. Isn't it nice to have friends over, celebrate with cake, ice cream, entertainment, and just enjoy the day without a ton of stuff?