Totally agree with you.
Last year my grandkids received from the other grandparents obscene amounts of presents ( please explain why a 2 1/2yr and 6 year old both need their own DVD player even though there is one in the home already) that in the end they were just ripping the paper off and going on to the next one without even looking at them. Absolutely ridiculous. I did bring up the subject that wouldn't it be wonderful if when they were 21 and finished uni, they had the opportunity to take 3 or 6 months to travel because a fund had been set up for them, or a fund set up for their education to help pay for school or uni fees. Deaf ears I'm afraid.