As a parent: no. We have way more toys than necessary, and yet keep getting more from all sides. All the parents I know have the same situation.

There are five stuffed tigers on the floor of our living room right now, liberated from their packages.

There are 37 more in the child's bedroom.

I'm confused. Are you bragging that you never gifted a toy in 51 years?

I guess on what you define as a toy. Is a Lego Technics set a toy? Is a model plane that requires assembly a toy? Is a drone a toy?

Also... if you ever meet a family with a baby or a toddler, I guess you'd gift them clothes?

Cant believe I have to answer these questions but here we go

- lego is a toy

- model plane that requires assembly is very likely a toy

- some drones a toy

if you meet a family with a baby or a toddler do not buy them a fucking toy, it is simple as that. it pollutes the planet and brings nothing good to anyone, not a child, not a parent and not you wasting money on stupid shit

As a parent I largely agree with this take. Most toys people buy my kids are essentially cheap plastic trash that won't last a season of interest but emotional toil to try and get rid of.

If you must get something outside of a donation to education savings, please either get a relevant book, something genuinely useful, or some kind of consumable. A pair of fun socks. A good a new backpack. Tickets to a sports game or a museum. A bag of snacks. A few sheets of stickers. New legitimate sports equipment (if they're into the sport and could actually use it). All of these are far better than some cheap plastic noise maker.

The things I listed aren't "cheap plastic noise makers". You can get good toys, most people don't bother.

They wouldn't bother with good snacks (they'll probably buy a huge bag of gummy bears or lollipops) or good socks (they'll get some funny 100% polyester socks).

Oh, and "few sheets of stickers" are also pollution, they're basically 100% plastic.

> Is a Lego Technics set a toy?

Expensive plastic, still a toy. Guess you're right it's not cheap. Definitely depends on the kid on this one. Legos can be OK toys, one of the few rare exceptions.

> Is a model plane that requires assembly a toy?

For the kind most people would just give as a gift? Absolutely just cheap plastic trash. It's definitely a hobby one can get into, but the quick gift stuff is pretty poor quality. And that model, once built, is probably fragile. Kids aren't often known for handling fragile things well.

> Is a drone a toy?

The cheap ones? Absolutely.

> and brings nothing good to anyone, not a child, not a parent and not you wasting money on stupid shit

You really don’t understand people at all.

Are you saying you only give pets as gifts?

Do you want to expand on that?

for kids, only money for college/investment fund. nothing else, ever

I sure hope this was not your childhood

you hope my childhood was filled with endless stream of useless play-with-them-2-hours-then-get-the-next-one toys followed by phones and tablets when I was strong enough to hold them? very happy to report my childhood was not wasted that way

Maybe you might have been a little more pleasant if you had wasted a little more of your childhood.

doubt it

As the Bard said (paraphrased) “Some are born miserable, some achieve misery, and some have misery thrust upon them”.