Christmas Gifts for TEENS

my only child , DD 19 gave me her Christmas list last night. She lives away in the dorms.
-Long sleeves blouses Which would be hard because she probably wont like what I pick out-lol!
-scented lotion

I will get her some gift cards and need creative ways to giver her money.
Plus need to figure out what else. She's never been one with a list of expensive items or a kids that has to have all kinds of stuff or expensive stuff. We are paying for her housing and meal plan in college and she always tells me she feels bad. Last night after spending the day shopping , dinner and hanging out with her all she asked for was a cinnabon from the mall, q-tips, crackers, pk of linners and ok of pads, laughing cow cheese from Walmart and 2 bars of oatmeal soap from .99. When I dropped her off I only had $11 on me(forgot to stop at the bank) and hubby gave her $20 and when I hand her the $11 she said keep it mom you've already spent a lot at WW. We made her take the money. I know she wont ask for much for Christmas this year. She's in a 2 person dorm room so not much room
 


I love reading this thread and thanks to the poster who started it!

My teens aren't getting much this year due to big gifts so I'm focusing more on stocking stuffers.

So far, I found DS a guitar pen at Half Priced Books. DD is getting some pjs that I already ordered.

DS15-getting a gaming computer-plans to major in computer or interactive design

DD17- going on her choir trip to CA. She was not supposed to get to go but apparently we're getting soft. She went on the Disney trip as a freshman and that was her trip. She has always wanted to visit CA and it sounds really fun.

I'll be looking for stocking stuff and maybe some small college items that I'd end up buying anyway.
 
Can you draw names instead? Or, suggest white elephant?
No, I wish! We started that with my side of the family. Dh and I end up mostly buying indivual gifts and giftcards or adults. Kids get gifts. Its more costly for us. We end up with a couple's gift. I just really wish we could pull names but MIL has the say. I have two brother N laws that don't buy and one has the 3 kids we don't see and the other has a fiancé. Sometimes SIL doesn't buy either so I wish we could just pull names or those that participate. I love Christmas but never been big on it being about gifts. Growing up with a single Mom and 5 of us kids she wasn't able to go all out but we always had a little something under the tree. For us it was about family and lots of food. I guess I'm just bothered that the 3 teens just don't appreciate and I have to figure out gifts.
How about a gift bag of favorite snacks,candy etc.
my teenage nephews love theirs and I give them a gift card or two and or cash.

about 5 years a go money was a little tight so we got discount tickets to the movies for BIL and his three kids. Plus I made goodie bags with movie size candy boxes like the movies. Plus I added a few other treats for them to take. My DD was very upset because she told me she heard one tell the brother oh its a poopie gift. After that I started noticing their reaction to other gifts they would get being unappreciative. I started noticing their attitudes at parties. Example we went to their parent anniversary party and they didn't even come out and say Hi to anyone. they stayed inside in their room with friends. When we go to parties at their house they don't come and say hi they stay in their room. Only party they come out is when its a party for them they will be present say hi and disappear until its time to open gifts which we all give money.

BTW- I just feel crappy about being negative about this~sorry
 
I have one that age and first year in college. When i asked her what she wanted she
gave the "oh I don't care you decide". So i mix it up..things i know she would like
..things i like for her and things she needs.

sunshade for car...(hello kitty)
VS-Pink...2 hoodies Beach Bag beach blanket sandals
Keurig plus coffee (she "borrowed" mine and yet to give back)
Christmas bear holding bath body works lotions..gels..etc
A set of those new Oval Makeup brushes
Bath Bombs
A few pieces of Jewelry including a magic lamp necklace i found(she loves Aladdin)
new iphone otterbox case with a new charger(hers is looking ragged)
she loves giraffes so an overnight bag with matching blanket in giraffe print
bath robe and slippers.
GAS CARD and a GROCERY GIFT CARD and a few cards from her fave places.

The best thing i got was the Amazon Echo for her. When she comes home to
visit i notice she listens to mine ALL THE TIME. First it was music now she listens
to books while laying on her bed and one time she was just listening to waves at
the beach while doing homework lol.
 
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***Wanted to add I start shopping in June/July/August and get a couple things
a month. I can be a penny pincher so i avoid sticker shock for things this way.
lol
 
No, I wish! We started that with my side of the family. Dh and I end up mostly buying indivual gifts and giftcards or adults. Kids get gifts. Its more costly for us. We end up with a couple's gift. I just really wish we could pull names but MIL has the say. I have two brother N laws that don't buy and one has the 3 kids we don't see and the other has a fiancé. Sometimes SIL doesn't buy either so I wish we could just pull names or those that participate. I love Christmas but never been big on it being about gifts. Growing up with a single Mom and 5 of us kids she wasn't able to go all out but we always had a little something under the tree. For us it was about family and lots of food. I guess I'm just bothered that the 3 teens just don't appreciate and I have to figure out gifts.


about 5 years a go money was a little tight so we got discount tickets to the movies for BIL and his three kids. Plus I made goodie bags with movie size candy boxes like the movies. Plus I added a few other treats for them to take. My DD was very upset because she told me she heard one tell the brother oh its a poopie gift. After that I started noticing their reaction to other gifts they would get being unappreciative. I started noticing their attitudes at parties. Example we went to their parent anniversary party and they didn't even come out and say Hi to anyone. they stayed inside in their room with friends. When we go to parties at their house they don't come and say hi they stay in their room. Only party they come out is when its a party for them they will be present say hi and disappear until its time to open gifts which we all give money.

BTW- I just feel crappy about being negative about this~sorry

I would let it go. Give a gift you want to give and be happy you did. It's the season of giving...and some folks you give to are gonna be crappy receivers (and some folks you give to, you'll never see their reaction). Some may never appreciate your gift, some may appreciate it only years down the road. But, if you feel good giving it, that's really all that matters...

So, do what you want to do, and don't worry about what they'll do. Just teach your own family how to graciously give and receive gifts and how to handle both disappointment on both ends (not getting what you want or not getting the reaction you want)...

If you want to be cheap this year, be cheap. If you want to only give a family gift, do that. If you want to give no gift, do that. You have to feel good about your giving, b/c if you feel rotten about what you're giving and you feel negative feelings towards your nephews, that's not helping anyone...

If you want an idea out of left field, give each child a Dungeons and Dragons starter set and give them the opportunity to have a lifetime of fun gaming with friends...it's cheap, teen friendly, and as likely to bomb with them as anything...but also might actually be a huge hit...https://www.amazon.com/Dungeons-Dra...8-2&keywords=dungeons+and+dragons+starter+set
 
No, I wish! We started that with my side of the family. Dh and I end up mostly buying indivual gifts and giftcards or adults. Kids get gifts. Its more costly for us. We end up with a couple's gift. I just really wish we could pull names but MIL has the say. I have two brother N laws that don't buy and one has the 3 kids we don't see and the other has a fiancé. Sometimes SIL doesn't buy either so I wish we could just pull names or those that participate. I love Christmas but never been big on it being about gifts. Growing up with a single Mom and 5 of us kids she wasn't able to go all out but we always had a little something under the tree. For us it was about family and lots of food. I guess I'm just bothered that the 3 teens just don't appreciate and I have to figure out gifts.

Ok - I'm confused. You say everyone exchanges, but then says the BILs and sometimes SIL don't. So why can't you just skip? I'm not being snarky, I really am trying to understand the situation

My family also gathers on Christmas Eve, and we all give to the kids but then have a gag gift exchange among the adults with drawn names. (We would also give to my mother when she was still alive) But for many, many years we did the full blown exchange with everyone giving to everyone, so I know the stress. It's hard. It took probably 10 years for me to convince my siblings to not do the full blown exchange.
 
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No, I wish! We started that with my side of the family. Dh and I end up mostly buying indivual gifts and giftcards or adults. Kids get gifts. Its more costly for us. We end up with a couple's gift. I just really wish we could pull names but MIL has the say. I have two brother N laws that don't buy and one has the 3 kids we don't see and the other has a fiancé. Sometimes SIL doesn't buy either so I wish we could just pull names or those that participate. I love Christmas but never been big on it being about gifts. Growing up with a single Mom and 5 of us kids she wasn't able to go all out but we always had a little something under the tree. For us it was about family and lots of food. I guess I'm just bothered that the 3 teens just don't appreciate and I have to figure out gifts.


about 5 years a go money was a little tight so we got discount tickets to the movies for BIL and his three kids. Plus I made goodie bags with movie size candy boxes like the movies. Plus I added a few other treats for them to take. My DD was very upset because she told me she heard one tell the brother oh its a poopie gift. After that I started noticing their reaction to other gifts they would get being unappreciative. I started noticing their attitudes at parties. Example we went to their parent anniversary party and they didn't even come out and say Hi to anyone. they stayed inside in their room with friends. When we go to parties at their house they don't come and say hi they stay in their room. Only party they come out is when its a party for them they will be present say hi and disappear until its time to open gifts which we all give money.

BTW- I just feel crappy about being negative about this~sorry

Sorry for your situation - I had a similar one years ago. I suggested pulling names because we were broke and were buying for multitudes of people that we didn't know and never saw and who were in no way appreciative. Not appreciative as in opening the gift, saying "ugh" and asking you for the receipt so that they could return it. What I got for suggesting pulling names was being told that I ruined Christmas for everyone in my husband's family. Long story short - we no longer celebrate anything with those people. And are better off for it.

What I would do in your current spot is work really hard to give them something that looks great, but that they would feel is poopie. Which I would enjoy and would feel good about throughout the holiday season. Do unto others and all of that.

Also - wine helps.
 
kinda hard to explain. I guess cause we are a family and work we are expected to give to everyone. The others I mention all work but because one BIL#3(he's almost 30 and babied) he's not married and still lives with his mom isn't expected to give?? The other BIL/fiancé and work and have apartments so they have bills?? SIL depends on if she's working (understandable).

This is DD's first year away at college so I guess I'm being more humbug and more aware of budget
 
You could always just come out and ask her if she wants it. I know we still like to "surprise" our older kids on Christmas, but there's a certain price point where surprising probably isn't the best approach. I think you are there :)

I have already purchased two big gifts for her so the switch was a sort of add on but expensive add on. She had said if I ever saw the switch at a great price she would like but it wasn't worth the money for a few titles. This was what she said last year. Well the switch will never be a great price and she tends to be budget conscientious so I think I am going to let it go and return it. I am going to keep it till after Black Friday in case something changes...but I would rather give her the two big gifts and several smaller at this point...
 
No, I wish! We started that with my side of the family. Dh and I end up mostly buying indivual gifts and giftcards or adults. Kids get gifts. Its more costly for us. We end up with a couple's gift. I just really wish we could pull names but MIL has the say. I have two brother N laws that don't buy and one has the 3 kids we don't see and the other has a fiancé. Sometimes SIL doesn't buy either so I wish we could just pull names or those that participate. I love Christmas but never been big on it being about gifts. Growing up with a single Mom and 5 of us kids she wasn't able to go all out but we always had a little something under the tree. For us it was about family and lots of food. I guess I'm just bothered that the 3 teens just don't appreciate and I have to figure out gifts.


about 5 years a go money was a little tight so we got discount tickets to the movies for BIL and his three kids. Plus I made goodie bags with movie size candy boxes like the movies. Plus I added a few other treats for them to take. My DD was very upset because she told me she heard one tell the brother oh its a poopie gift. After that I started noticing their reaction to other gifts they would get being unappreciative. I started noticing their attitudes at parties. Example we went to their parent anniversary party and they didn't even come out and say Hi to anyone. they stayed inside in their room with friends. When we go to parties at their house they don't come and say hi they stay in their room. Only party they come out is when its a party for them they will be present say hi and disappear until its time to open gifts which we all give money.

BTW- I just feel crappy about being negative about this~sorry

To bad they weren’t taught common courtesy. Hard call on what to do in your case.

We don’t exchange with in laws anymore thankfully or even see them on Christmas (they don’t want to see us or celebrate) Kids were rotten too and never thankful. We finally gave up trying to find them the perfect gift, all they wanted was money, so started giving them cash the last couple years we exchanged with them. Sometimes keeping the peace to keep your sanity is the easiest option.
 
Long story short - we no longer celebrate anything with those people. And are better off for it.

I resonate with this so much! The last year we did Christmas with DH's family I left near tears! SIL and BIL (both late teens at the time) made it clear they didn't like their gifts. We were living on minimum wage while going to college at that point so it was hard for us to buy anything fancy, but we thought they were things we would have liked to have gotten at that age. We don't really speak to either of them anymore because they're just nasty people in general, and our holidays especially are happier for it!

anyway, I'm going to go ahead and follow along on this thread this year. I'm only in my mid twenties so obviously so teen kids myself but I have several preteen and teenage cousins to buy for and am always looking for ideas!
 
No, I wish! We started that with my side of the family. Dh and I end up mostly buying indivual gifts and giftcards or adults. Kids get gifts. Its more costly for us. We end up with a couple's gift. I just really wish we could pull names but MIL has the say. I have two brother N laws that don't buy and one has the 3 kids we don't see and the other has a fiancé. Sometimes SIL doesn't buy either so I wish we could just pull names or those that participate. I love Christmas but never been big on it being about gifts. Growing up with a single Mom and 5 of us kids she wasn't able to go all out but we always had a little something under the tree. For us it was about family and lots of food. I guess I'm just bothered that the 3 teens just don't appreciate and I have to figure out gifts.


about 5 years a go money was a little tight so we got discount tickets to the movies for BIL and his three kids. Plus I made goodie bags with movie size candy boxes like the movies. Plus I added a few other treats for them to take. My DD was very upset because she told me she heard one tell the brother oh its a poopie gift. After that I started noticing their reaction to other gifts they would get being unappreciative. I started noticing their attitudes at parties. Example we went to their parent anniversary party and they didn't even come out and say Hi to anyone. they stayed inside in their room with friends. When we go to parties at their house they don't come and say hi they stay in their room. Only party they come out is when its a party for them they will be present say hi and disappear until its time to open gifts which we all give money.

BTW- I just feel crappy about being negative about this~sorry

Wow, I don't think those kids would be getting anything from me ever again. Or, they would be getting cards letting them know I made a donation to kids who were less fortunate in their names. One Christmas my nephew (9 years old) told us he didn't want the gift we gave him for Christmas (Nerf blaster gun). My Mother in law tried to baby him and apologized for him, but didn't address the behavior with him. I just told him that's ok, there are lots of other kids who would love to have it, and put it in my donation for the Angel Tree. I tell you what, he has been a lot more respectful and appreciative since then. Sometimes they need to be taught a lesson, and I have no problem being the one to do it if the parents won't. (I would be all over my own kids for this!)

It sounds like you feel (rightly so) that you are being taken advantage of and that no one else is held to the same expectation. I say save the gift giving for those that you enjoy gifting. Some traditions are worth upholding and some, you just need to know when to walk away from. It's stressful enough trying to find the perfect gift, within budget, for those who actually appreciate them.
 
College student idea:
My 17 yr old DD asked for a Snack Crate subscription for her May birthday. I was a little leary but purchased a three month subscription. It was great. She got a different snack box each month over the summer. Each box is full of snacks from a different country around the world. We are in the US and her boxes were Japan, Canada, and I think S Korea. She loved trying the different snacks. She agreed that she doesn't think she would need this as an ongoing thing but three months was perfect. She would like to try it again when she goes away to college.

https://www.snackcrate.com/

As for what she will get this Christmas. We are doing at big Disney trip in January. (Well for us it's big. First time in a deluxe and with a dining plan) So I am getting her an "Up" magic band for our trip. (She loves Up and there is so little ever made with it)
Bath Bombs from Lush
PS4 games
ITunes
I love the Bento Box idea someone else listed.
P!nk tickets

Last year I got her a Hufflepuff decal for her car window. It was cheap and absolutely one of her favorite presents. That and her SuperNatural pillow case. I love getting her small things that are thoughtful and something she didn't know existed or didn't think to ask for. So much more fun than the big ticket items.


I have never ordered the snack boxes cause we can buy the same or similar snacks local. I was just thinking of ordering it for my nieces. If I sign up today, the first box comes in less than 2 weeks. So I subscribed to my home so we can check out the first two boxes before deciding to sign up my nieces who are 9 and 6. They like to get things in the mail and I know they like movie and popcorn night in their home.

I was debating between Snack Crate and MunchPak. I thought Snack Crate website was a bit more user friendly so I went with them. I may cancel the subscription after the first couple boxes... we shall see. Our primary grocery store is the military commissary that has a decent selection of foreign snacks and a few local places that sells foreign snacks, so if my kids like a particular item, I will just see if we can get it local. We use to live in Korea and like Korean snacks so I opted for that to be our first box.

Editing to say, I just ordered MunchPak too. Going to compare the two and canx one.
 
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I have never ordered the snack boxes cause we can buy the same or similar snacks local. I was just thinking of ordering it for my nieces. If I sign up today, the first box comes in less than 2 weeks. So I subscribed to my home so we can check out the first two boxes before deciding to sign up my nieces who are 9 and 6. They like to get things in the mail and I know they like movie and popcorn night in their home.

I was debating between Snack Crate and MunchPak. I thought Snack Crate website was a bit more user friendly so I went with them. I may cancel the subscription after the first couple boxes... we shall see. Our primary grocery store is the military commissary that has a decent selection of foreign snacks and a few local places that sells foreign snacks, so if my kids like a particular item, I will just see if we can get it local. We use to live in Korea and like Korean snacks so I opted for that to be our first box.

Editing to say, I just ordered MunchPak too. Going to compare the two and canx one.

Let me know on the MunchPak, I haven't heard of them. There were items that she didn't like but for the most part she did and it was a great element of discovery. Canada was one of our boxes and I wondered how different it could be from USA but it was a nice assortment. We did discover our favorite potato chip from that box. "All Dressed" flavor is supposed to be the number one chip in Canada?!! Well we loved that little bag of chips. Low and behold we have found one Walmart that carries them. We buy two bags everytime we go there.
I think the boxes are great for a care package.
 
Let me know on the MunchPak, I haven't heard of them. There were items that she didn't like but for the most part she did and it was a great element of discovery. Canada was one of our boxes and I wondered how different it could be from USA but it was a nice assortment. We did discover our favorite potato chip from that box. "All Dressed" flavor is supposed to be the number one chip in Canada?!! Well we loved that little bag of chips. Low and behold we have found one Walmart that carries them. We buy two bags everytime we go there.
I think the boxes are great for a care package.

From looking at the reviews on Snack Crate, they just feature unique items from one country per month. Some of the videos on Snack Crate facebook (their own videos) adults are saying this or that has a bad flavor or after taste. They are marketing the off beat products. The Canada one, they included the maple leaf sucker that is at every tourist store that I bought a couple of and my kids tasted one and threw it away. Ha ha.

MunchPak looks like to be the best from around the world and the few review videos I have watching people are saying this or that is yummy. For the age group I am looking at I want yummy, not "well this has a different flavor. Well this has an bad after taste, etc." The American box review the two adults (on their own facebook) wasn't a fan of some of the items either. If adults are not saying yummy, I doubt kids will. That is why I went back and ordered the MunchPak. It might have Korean and Germany in one box. It's not a country feature, just snacks from around the world in one box.
 

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