Last night, I had a conversation that unexpectedly revealed my 10-year-old son's deepest values. Trying to figure out how much he really, really, really wants a cell phone, I posed some questions:

Me: Which do you want more, a cell phone or your own laptop?
Son: We have computers all over the house. A cell phone.

Me: A cell phone or a flat screen television, in your room?
Son: There's a TV in the room next door. A cell phone.

Me: A cell phone or a Wii?
Son: I can play Wii at my friends' houses. A cell phone.

Me: A cell phone or unlimited computer time to play whatever you want?
Son: Computer eventually gets boring. A cell phone.

Me: A cell phone or knowing that your little brother will never have one.
Son: Hmm. I guess....a cell phone.

In the end, there were three things that trumped a cell phone:

1. A family trip somewhere exotic, like the Galapagos or the Amazon, every year for the next five years.
2. A chainsaw, and the freedom to use it whenever he wants.
3. To have his best friends move back to New York from Boston and Nepal.

It was good to know that this rather materialistic child values friends and travel (let's not mention chainsaw destruction) not only more than a cell phone, but also more than a laptop, a flat-screen television, unlimited internet access and disappointing his younger brother.

What would trump your child's most desired holiday gift?

Karen Dukess, Editorial Director of Burbia, has been a newspaper and magazine reporter, editor, and...read more