one thing that would be helpful (if you put it in your question) is how old is the parent and how old is (are) the child. I am 43 and my daughter is 2. I am not going to buy her everything, but i will buy her what i think is quality stuff, not junk, and I will buy her things that i think will help her learn. She’s still at the age where if she grabs something off a store shelf, i let her hold it and then when we get near the cash register I distract her and take it and put it elsewhere. I do want her to have opportunities (when the time comes) to go to camp, and to have some things like tennis lessons, or skating lessons, or whatever interests her at the time. I don’t think it’s right that every time a new video game comes out, kids get the whole system plus cartridges or whatever, and the old one becomes garbage, and the kids just want more more more. However, I do understand there is something to be said for the child not feeling like her friends have stuff that she does not have. I guess i’ll have to walk a fine line and come to that when the time comes.