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Holiday shopping for "Tweens", Ugh, amirite?

Juliestcyr said:
My oldest DD (11) had her heart set on gift certificates to take a friend to high tea at a fancy downtown hotel. She hasn't been since she was 5 and had the "Princess tea". I thought it was a great idea, but she's too big for the princess tea now, and when she looked at the menu for the regular high tea, she changed her mind.
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Ok, I've been thinking. I know you are in Ottawa area, not sure how close though. Is there another place that does Tea that would work for her? Is it the experience she wanted to share with a friend? Maybe they could get all dressed up and go to a fancy lunch instead of tea?
 
i get clothes are not gifts. i don't want toys. i want really expensive electronics. and steam gift carrds. no fun.
 
One year my son wanted money. So I got 50 one dollar bills, rolled each one up individually and tied each one with a string. I put them all into a Pop Tart box, his favorite snack. You could always do money origami if you wanted something a bit more exciting.
 
I had it easy with Sarita in all previous years, she always favors traveling to see the family, or going to a musical...so I didn't need to shop or break my brain thinking about what... I always bought lots of little things like make up kits or nail kits, socks, she loves winter socks.... little things.... apart from (I think 2009?) in which I surprised her with her very first MacBook (first computer of her own , she was 14 then) and then in 23010 she got her Blackberry stolen, so I made her a voucher that said "valid for a new Blackberry" and I still have the photos of her face when she opened the letter LOL
 
When I was a tween, my parents completely redecorated my bedroom for my birthday one year. Everything from painting the walls to a new bedspread, along with new matching organizers. I know I was hard to shop for at that age, too, so I sympathize with you!
 
tinkerbell1112 said:
I'm in a very similar place - DD9 wants Legos, American Girl stuff, tablet, her Amazon wish list is a mile long

DS12 wants a new phone (we've told him no - he gets a new one when his 2 year "contract" is up) and other than that, had to search for things to "want".

We ended up getting him a Star Wars board game he found and is getting very good reviews on boardgamegeek .com.

Does she like board games? There are a few that my son really likes and some of his friends play.

Would she enjoy a spa day? toes, nails, facial?
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I so wish she was into board games because that's something I love! But she has never really done board games/puzzles. She is also not into "spas" and anything she perceives to be "makeup". We will do jamberries ocassionally, but even there, this is the year of "twixt and tween". Half of her fingers still need kid sized jamberries, but a couple of them need adult sized ones!

I think I've accepted that maybe the reason I can't find the "perfect" gift this year, is because truthfully, my kid doesn't need anymore stuff : )
 
None of my grandchildren were unhappy with cash! But one of the late tween years, I gave my granddaughter a gift card for Sephora. It came in a gorgeous little mirrored tin (Altoid size) which I found impressive. While she was not allowed to wear anything other than lipstick at that time, she and her younger sister had a lot of fun with their expanding nail polish collection. Hair products were also happily tested.

Not a tween issue at all but this is making me remember my 70ish Nana always asking for a new girdle for Christmas. My mother would sigh, and say "Mother, you have to try it on!" Different age group but still hard to buy for and I've never asked for a girdle or Spanx though they certainly would be useful! :blush
 
My sixteen year old only wants $100 shoes and cologne that will give me a headache. Boo!!!!!!

The ten year old mostly just wants a chromebook.

My eight year old wants video games and toys he won't actually play with but I buy them anyway because he's the last to want toys.

Big kids and Christmas is WAY more expensive and not as fun. I just keep reminding myself, probably about 10 years before I have a grandchild.
 
This is why I make my husband shop for his 14yo son. He 'collects' expensive sports shoes/sneakers (he seriously has, like, 20 pairs!) but otherwise has no hobbies, doesn't like to read, is too old for toys or collections, etc. I think last year DH bought him tickets to a university bball game & basketball shoes. He will likely do the same thing this year.

My 7yo is already hard to buy for at 7! She wants that ridiculous Hatchnimal, which I won't buy for her since I know she will play with it for 20 minutes and be bored, but otherwise really doesn't have any other toys or collections. She likes the idea of toys but doesn't actually play with toys regularly.
 
LeeAndra said:
This is why I make my husband shop for his 14yo son. He 'collects' expensive sports shoes/sneakers (he seriously has, like, 20 pairs!) but otherwise has no hobbies, doesn't like to read, is too old for toys or collections, etc. I think last year DH bought him tickets to a university bball game & basketball shoes. He will likely do the same thing this year.

My 7yo is already hard to buy for at 7! She wants that ridiculous Hatchnimal, which I won't buy for her since I know she will play with it for 20 minutes and be bored, but otherwise really doesn't have any other toys or collections. She likes the idea of toys but doesn't actually play with toys regularly.
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I think you've hit the nail on the head. Kids (and adults) like the IDEA of stuff, but really don't need it, or want it bad enough. When my oldest was 7, she could all of a sudden read (she struggled to learn to read in the beginning), and asked for nothing but books for Christmas. Specifically those series that appeal to early readers. Everyone thought that was fantastic, and bought her nothing but books. Out of probably 30 books, I think she read 5 of them. She likes reading, but the truth is she just wanted to collect Magic Tree House and Thea Stilton books. The stories were not that interesting to her.

Sooo glad no one is asking for a Hatchimal in my house. That same kid received a Furby when she turned 8 from her birth mom, and it turned evil on her. Apparently, they do that. It's traumatized us all and no one wants another robot gremlin in the house again.
 
Juliestcyr said:
I so wish she was into board games because that's something I love! But she has never really done board games/puzzles. She is also not into "spas" and anything she perceives to be "makeup". We will do jamberries ocassionally, but even there, this is the year of "twixt and tween". Half of her fingers still need kid sized jamberries, but a couple of them need adult sized ones!

I think I've accepted that maybe the reason I can't find the "perfect" gift this year, is because truthfully, my kid doesn't need anymore stuff : )
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that's where I am with my 12 year old!
 
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