I just got off the phone with a friend who's been struck with the Cleaning Bug. You know that burst of energy you get when you can't stand to look at all that stuff collecting dust in your basement? She's got it bad.
As she began to purge the depths of the closet, she found countless toys, puzzles, and games that her now-nineteen-year-old boys haven't touched in years. Then she did the math and actually counted.
3 boys
1 birthday party per year for 10 years
30 friends at each party
X 1 gift per boy
___________________
900 gifts!!!
That's an estimate that doesn't include Hanukkah and birthday gifts from family members!
The custom of giving a birthday gift to a child is so ingrained in our culture and our children come to expect that they will receive gifts each year. That's not to say they don't appreciate the gesture or use good manners and write thank you notes for the spoils they've received, but they know, once a year, they will be showered with toys, just for being born.
I believe in the importance of honoring significant events and celebrating the joy and love you share as a family. Birthdays are incredibly joyous occasions- especially for those children who had a tough road getting here- but can we reconsider the amount of waste we produce in celebrating these moments?
One year for Christmas I decided to think outside the box and gave my young cousin a gift card to a website that allowed her to select the charity to which she'd like to donate. (The site, unfortunately, is no longer in operation.) She ran to the computer and began to select her favorite charities. She was eight at the time and understood- and fully embraced- the importance of giving back.
Can we break the mold? Can we think outside the box and create a generation of children who really believe 'tis better to give than to receive?
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