> Anyway, advice on how to exit the American way is very much welcome. We've made a big deal about giving the kids "experience gifts". Sometimes it's lessons

> Anyway, advice on how to exit the American way is very much welcome. We've made a big deal about giving the kids "experience gifts". Sometimes it's lessons (my daughter got a week at a horseback riding camp, my son got dirt bike lessons). Sometimes it's a trip (we've taken the kids on 3 separate cross-country road trips with tons of stops at national parks). Sometimes it's a pass to a water park or minigolf place. The kids get involved in the experience they want, so they're emotionally invested and it doesn't feel forced for them. The only rule really is that the thing can't be about electronics (i.e. no going to a video arcade). Once we established that, we asked that grandparents do the same. Usually this is each set of grandparents taking the kids for a week or more in the summer, but they get creative sometimes. It's been four years and the kids are much happier with this than the random junk, and have said so.