Interesting observation regarding birthday wishes. Whenever it is a kid’s birthday they sit on the special birthday chair and are showered with special wishes and congrats. This is a prelude to the cupcake carnage, a really nice time for kids to reflect on what they would give this peer if they had the means or the magic to do so. What’s the number one wish for the birthday boy or girl? That they receive “lot’s of money.” It’s gotten so out of hand that we had to have a talk about how money is a material thing and not as special as a true wish of good health and humanity. A genuine “Happy Birthday” far surpasses any currency one could receive–or so we tell them. “Well, my Dad said you’re not supposed to talk about money with other people,” pipes up one boy, “It’s private.” “That’s right, “I nod in recognition, remembering that this kid has a house in the Hamptons, “Money is a personal matter.”
It is unfortunate that today’s children are already money-centric. Perhaps they hear grown-ups discuss finances or maybe they know that in order to have presents one must have money. At any rate, after the first few “happy birthdays” are spread around, the kids start wishing the birthday person a “million, billion, dollars” or “all the money in the world.” Then we have The Discussion and the wishes change to “I hope you land on Fairy Island” or “I hope you get a rocket ship.” Things you would normally associate with Kindergarten…