help - birthday present for 16 year old.

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-25-2003
help - birthday present for 16 year old.
4
Wed, 03-07-2007 - 2:38pm
boy. Any ideas?? I just don't have a clue - all he's ASKED for are video games and DVD's, and he already spends such an unhealthy amount of time "plugged in " that I don't want to encourage that. He's not much interested in clothes, and sort of takes the attitude that since I have to buy him clothes anyway, they aren't much of a gift. He doesn't have any real hobbies, already owns an Mp3 player....LOL, it's hopeless!
Avatar for suzyk2118
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Registered: 07-30-1997
Wed, 03-07-2007 - 2:56pm
How about a gift certificate to a movie theater or a driving range/mini golf place or bowling alley; at least it'll get him away from electronics for a bit! Membership to a gym/rec center? (I wasn't clear if this is for your ds or someone else)
Avatar for mjaye2002
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Registered: 03-26-2003
Wed, 03-07-2007 - 3:02pm

uuuhhhh....a car???

no, no, no...I'm just joking! It's so hard at this age...

I'm really no help. Does he drive yet, or will be going to soon? Food cards and pre-paid gas cards are pretty good bets for the kids that will be driving and paying for their own gas. I got my ds15 some "pretties" for the pick-up he is inheriting (sp?) from his step-mom when he does turn 16. He picked them out, I just paid for them. :) Does he have a decent stereo in his room? Does he want to re-decorate his room somehow--paint or add some cool furniture? I turned ds20 loose on his room one year. He loved it, but I will pay for it two-fold when his little brother moves out (he's in there now). He painted it BLACK! LOL But, he loved it. We got some fluorescent paint in wild colors and painted the light switches and the concrete blocks that he has his stereo and TV on and he installed black lights everywhere. omg...it was quite the room! LOL But, he had sooooo much fun!

Something else I have done is to take ds and one or two of his buddies out to the restaurant of his choice. It has always been a high-end restaurant, steak or those Japenese steak houses, that sort of thing. I would do that in lieu of a present. We never, ever eat at those places (much too expensive), so it was always a treat for them to do that.

Anyway, that's somethings I've done over the years.

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-25-2003
Wed, 03-07-2007 - 3:22pm
oh, sorry - yes, it is my ds (but he's only been mine for a little over a year (when he came to me as a foster child), so I sometimes feel that I'm lacking the benefit of history, here :-) Thanks for the ideas - I was considering gift certificates of SOME kind.


Edited 3/7/2007 3:24 pm ET by mom2morgan
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-25-2003
Wed, 03-07-2007 - 3:23pm
thanks - lots of good ideas there, but NO, he's not getting a car!! LOL I like the room decorating idea a lot.