When I was a kid way back in the 70's, I had an old Schwinn that I outgrew. My parents went to one of the department stores of the day and bought me an All-Pro banana seat bike. It was shiny and magnificent looking. My best friends dad went to a local auction and bought him a Schwinn that was rusty and a bit banged up. His dad painted it and cleaned up the bearings. Although my All-Pro looked nicer, his was a dream to ride. It was a absolute night and day difference. Back then, I was not a bike snob, LBS employee or fanboi, but I could tell without bias which was the better bike. The same holds true today with box store bikes as components, primarily BBs and hubs, are of substandard quality. The BB and hub bearings in the last cheap bike (a tandem of all things) that I bought had no grease in them and ran like gravel even after cleaning and greasing. A new wheelset and cartridge BBs resolved those problems.
Depending on size, kids are hard to buy for as they outgrow bikes quickly and decent bikes are not inexpensive. Decent used bikes can be hit or miss too.
I think that most here just want to see kids ride on the kinds of machines that we ride where resistance is minimal. I don't mind crappy derailleurs, shifters or brakes, but friction in BBs and hubs just make it a less enjoyable experience.