I LOVE THIS IDEA! Call me Grinch (and trust me, you will if you meet me in December), but I think it would do well-off children a world of good to, as this New York Times article describes, collect small donations for a local charity or organization in lieu of receiving dozens of birthday gifts. When I was a kid, my most treasured presents were the ones from my parents, while the stuff other kids' parents picked out for me was often not quite right. They didn't know I wasn't into horses, for example. Of course, I imagine this might be a hard sell if your kid is the first on the block to host a gift-reduced birthday party. But one little boy in the article gets a tour of the town fire station in exchange for his donation. How cool is that? Another benefit could be a lifetime understanding of altruism and modesty, which parents might be very happy about when it comes time to plan the Sweet Sixteen, bar mitzvah, or wedding.
--Dana Goldstein
