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What happened to "it's the thought that counts"?
Are kid gift registries greedy — or just good sense?
By Jane Ridley
March 4, 2015 | 11:07pm
(I vote for "greedy".)

Sitting down at his computer, 8-year-old Andre Wei-Vital spends an hour browsing through the vast collection of WWE toys on amazon.com.

With a few determined clicks of the mouse, he places five items on his Amazon wish list, including his favorite Rob Van Dam and Stone Cold Steve Austin wrestling figures, respectively priced at $27.95 and $44.95.

“You haven’t put anything on there that’s over $50, have you?” calls his mom, Denise Wei-Vital, as she comes over to check the selection. “Remember the limit.”

In a few weeks, Wei-Vital will send out e-vites for Andre’s ninth birthday party, including a line directing them to his wish list. The family hopes that, just like last year, the 60 or so guests will consult the link ahead of the June festivities and purchase gifts the birthday boy really wants.

‘It’s a great way of managing the presents he receives so he doesn’t get duplicates.’
- Denise Wei-Vital, on 8-year-old son Andre's birthday present wish list

“Andre is very particular and is looking for specific action figures to add to his collection,” explains Wei-Vital, of Harlem, a hospital administrator and writer of the mom blog BoyzRuleOurWorld. “It’s a great way of managing the presents he receives so he doesn’t get duplicates.”

The mom of one is among a growing number of parents setting up gift registries before their kids’ birthdays, holidays or other special occasions such as bar or bat mitzvahs, first communions, even graduation from elementary school.

As a result, a tradition that used to be confined to couples heading down the aisle and mothers-to-be has now taken hold among the junior set.

There are no estimates of how many children’s gift lists exist, but companies like Toys R Us and amazon.com report a significant uptick in their digital registry services. “Since first launching Toys R Us Wish List in 2010, we’ve seen thousands of kids and families take advantage of the service annually,” says a spokesperson.

Meanwhile, smaller toy stores in New York are jumping on the bandwagon and offering similar wish lists for younger customers.

“Most of my friends in the blogging community have registries for their kids, and it’s the norm,” says Wei-Vital, who plans to share Andre’s list with his classmates as well as friends and family.

But some believe the whole idea smacks of entitlement.

Parenting expert Denise Albert, co-host of the Sirius XM radio “The Moms,” cringes at the thought of registering birthday or holiday gifts for sons Jaron, 10, and Jaylan, 6.

“It’s extremely presumptuous and loses the magic, making gifting more of a business transaction,” she says. “Buying a gift is a personal choice, and I wouldn’t dream of putting someone on the spot like this.

“To be honest, if I had my way, I would introduce a no-gifts policy. Kids just have too much stuff these days.”

Other moms, however, think she’s overreacting.

Amy Mirer Tuchman has long been a proponent of gift registries, albeit the less formal arrangement she has established for daughters, Mia, 7, and Zoe, 5, not online, but at a local store.

The girls, both of whom have birthday parties in May, keep old-fashioned wish lists (handwritten on index cards, no less!) at Stoopher & Boots, an upscale gift and clothing store near their Upper West Side home.

‘Buying a gift is a personal choice. I wouldn’t dream of putting someone on the spot like this.’
- Denise Albert on children’s gift registries

“It’s very casual,” says Tuchman, adding that the girls place relatively low-cost items on their registry, such as stickers, headbands and the occasional fancy T-shirt. “If anyone asks, we tell friends and family to stop by Stoopher & Boots, because the owner [Stephanie Goldstein] knows what they love and what’s on their list,” she adds.

As for Wei-Vital, she is unashamed about Andre’s gift registry and insists it’s a win-win situation: Andre gets what he wants, the giver knows the present is on target, and she doesn’t have to waste time returning unsuitable items.

“My sister, Susan, laughed at me when I first told her about Andre’s list, saying it was ridiculous and overindulgent because he gets whatever he wants,” she reveals.

“Then her son started one for his birthday. Now she’s a convert!”

http://nypost.com/2015/03/04/are-kid-gift-registries-greedy-or-just-good-sense/