Why time is better than toys

Like this op-ed by Orson Scott Card on parenting: why time is better than toys.

Looking back, what are the warmest impressions from my own childhood are surrounded by parental, familial, and other social interactions, often simple. Throwing money at something, though attractive in the short run, always leads to emptiness if it doesn't have meaningful followup. In my life, I often liked to play alone with the "things" my parents got for us, whether it was sports equipment or toys. I also have happy memories of my parents engaging with me using these objects. However, as Card points out:

In...our families, during the lean years and the fat years, Daddy and Mommy were the best toys, the best teachers, the best appliances, the best entertainment, the best everything. And they came to us absolutely free of charge.

He's right. Parents sincerely engaged and interested in their children are universally desired and needed by children, regardless of culture or time.