Anita
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,646
Location: Kansas City -ish
Jun 27, 2014 2:38:58 GMT
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Post by Anita on Nov 3, 2017 15:16:51 GMT
I used to hate gifting gift card as well, but I've come around. How do you feel about gifting someone an activity or event? I don't see gift cards any differently anymore, as long as it's what the recipient truly wants. I figure I'm gifting them a shopping trip event, whether in store or online, and for a younger teen who likely doesn't have access to his/her own money, it's like giving the freedom and power to shop and pay without involving the parent.
My mother usually asks for gift cards because she lives a very simple life and does not do "stuff" at all. She's on a low, fixed income, so giving her a gift card means she can splurge a bit on consumables.
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Post by Basket1lady on Nov 3, 2017 15:20:26 GMT
OK, thanks for the responses. I will go the gift card route with a small gift to go along side it. I guess gone are the days where she opens toys and squeals with delight. We don't do gifts on my side of the family since everyone is grown and DH and I don't have kids so this is our only official Christmas gift giving get-together. Maybe I'm trying just a tiny bit to keep her a child? I miss buying toys, too! Something to consider is giving to an Angel Tree. We have one at our church, but there are others around. My kids are the youngest by far in the family, so I get the fun of shopping for toys and still get my kids what they want. The reality is that tweens and teens really don't use a lot of toys or tangible items. It's online shops for music, movies, games, etc. That's what my kids do. Or they go to movies, concerts, the coffee shop. A 13 year old really can't be expected to play with toys anymore, as fun as they are to buy. My SIL loves to shop and gets the kids a gift card and then lots of little items. Sure it's cute, but no 20 year old man needs a stuffed bear or ear buds from the dollar bin. He's a broke college kid living on ramen noodles. As for a creative way to wrap gift cards--I will say that my kids LOVE this. They are both at college 1,300 miles from home and I send a lot of care packages. I've been known to tuck gift cards into the pocket of a shirt, a treat that I made, the pages of a book... And at gift giving times, I'll look for cute GC holders, bags, puzzles, etc like others have suggested. Another fun gift giving idea is a paint can with candy. Michael's sells clear plastic paint cans in a variety of sizes. It's fun to fill them with candy and tuck the GC in the middle. Just be careful--a gallon paint can holds A LOT of candy!
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likescarrots
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,879
Aug 16, 2014 17:52:53 GMT
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Post by likescarrots on Nov 3, 2017 15:22:07 GMT
I would give her the gift card. You are giving her the gift of getting to go shopping and pick out stuff for herself, which is actually a really great experience for young teens to have, imo.
Also I'm kindof surprised that a 13 yo is still into American girl dolls.
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bethany102399
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,534
Oct 11, 2014 3:17:29 GMT
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Post by bethany102399 on Nov 3, 2017 15:23:25 GMT
I hear you about wanting to pick something out for her to open, but as mom to a soon to be 12 year old she really does just want gift cards. She's VERY picky about what she's willing to wear and likes to pick out her own things.
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Post by maryland on Nov 3, 2017 15:29:23 GMT
My teens love gift cards and cash. My 14 yr. old is trying to save up for a computer and she has asked for cash from grandparents and us. I don't see a problem with it. It makes it easier on the grandparents because it's so hard for the kids to come up with ideas for them. It was easy when they were little and it was easy to give them ideas. But my teens had a hard tme coming up with ideas. The gift cards are great because my kids love to go to Panera, etc. with friends, and they use their own money for that most of the time. That's what works for us.
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Post by crazy4scraps on Nov 3, 2017 15:30:14 GMT
For an older teen or a male younger teen, gift cards tend to work well because they are so hard to buy for. A 13 year old girl should be easy to buy for - clothes, makeup, hair stuff, etc. For a 13 year old, I would buy a gift and if she wants to return it for store credit, she can do that. The problem I have with this is that as the parent of a kid who isn’t yet old enough to take the stuff back on their own, it adds one more thing to *my* already hectic life because the kid won’t be the one taking it back, I would be. So as a parent, I make it as easy as I can for the parents of the kids I give stuff to. If they want cash or a gift card, I’m giving cash or a gift card. If they have specific items on their wish list, I give those things. Why make things more difficult if you don’t need to? And any time I’m giving anyone a storebought gift I include a gift receipt whenever possible. DH and I were on the receiving end of unusable, unreturnable gifts from his mom for decades before she finally figured out that what we really needed was cash for gas and groceries.
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Post by maryland on Nov 3, 2017 15:34:16 GMT
Buy her some fun socks and wrap up the gift card. Win win! That's a good idea! My daughters and their friends, both boys and girls, love the crazy socks! My daughter always gets socks for her boyfriend as part of his gift. He loves basketball, so she gets basketball themed crazy socks.
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pudgygroundhog
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,643
Location: The Grand Canyon
Jun 25, 2014 20:18:39 GMT
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Post by pudgygroundhog on Nov 3, 2017 15:34:21 GMT
OK, thanks for the responses. I will go the gift card route with a small gift to go along side it. I guess gone are the days where she opens toys and squeals with delight. We don't do gifts on my side of the family since everyone is grown and DH and I don't have kids so this is our only official Christmas gift giving get-together. Maybe I'm trying just a tiny bit to keep her a child? My daughter is almost ten and a) we already have too much stuff in our house - we're constantly trying to downsize b) there really isn't much that she wants and for things like clothes, she likes picking them out herself (although she has certainly appreciated clothes that have been purchased for her) She is starting to cross over into more gift cards and tickets (experiences instead of goods) and I find creative ways to wrap or small, related items to go with them. Sometimes it's the small, unexpected things that are big hits anyway. I think your niece will still enjoy getting a gift - either include a small item or find a creative way to wrap it. My daughter still loves treasure hunts, puzzles, etc. You can still make it a fun unwrapping experience!
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Post by lisae on Nov 3, 2017 15:37:11 GMT
I know how you feel wanting to shop for something and have her open it on Christmas. With my stepdaughters, it was wonderful when I picked the right gift and they liked it. However, it was really frustrating and sometimes hurtful when gifts were not what they wanted. Once, a gift was returned to me that I don't think was even taken out of the box. She didn't even exchange it herself, I had to take it back. Can't remember if I just sent money or tried another gift. Anyway, it's been about 20 years and I still remember that so...
So since she asked for gift cards, that is what I would do. Also, I'd think about how long you want this gift giving to continue. Until she is 18 or beyond? I stopped with my stepdaughters after college. Gifts just weren't appreciated and they certainly weren't reciprocated.
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Post by crazy4scraps on Nov 3, 2017 15:43:36 GMT
I hear you about wanting to pick something out for her to open, but as mom to a soon to be 12 year old she really does just want gift cards. She's VERY picky about what she's willing to wear and likes to pick out her own things. Honestly, I was really surprised this year when all the Christmas toy catalogs started coming to the house, my 7 yo DD showed ZERO interest in any of the stuff in them. Seriously, nothing. And she’s only seven. DH and I are seriously considering just giving her DH’s used iPad Air2 for Christmas and a new kid-proof case for it, and buying him a new one. She uses it all the time anyway and it should last her for years, much longer than any clothes, plastic toys or other junk that we’ll just end up needing to get rid of next year. She would be thrilled to death if Santa stuffed her stocking with Roblox and iTunes gift cards.
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Deleted
Posts: 0
May 22, 2024 1:41:42 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Nov 3, 2017 15:43:43 GMT
I would buy her a gift card and wrap it together with a token gift such as some nice teen perfume, bath/shower bits that she probably wouldn't normally use or earrings kind of gift, put it in a nice box etc. She then still gets to open something that is nicer than an envelope.
I would also look at the list of gift cards she's written down and choose one that is probably more of a luxury from somewhere she wouldn't normally shop at, somewhere that would be too expensive for every day stuff so she ends up with a treat.
I do now give gift cards to all the children in our family that have gone too old for " toys"because I would rather that than buy something that isn't going to be used/worn etc. To me that is a total waste of money and the recipient ends up with nothing in the end or the inconvenience of going to the store for an exchange.
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Post by deshacrafts on Nov 3, 2017 15:46:11 GMT
I've been giving money to my nieces and nephews for a few years. It's not as much fun, but one set of kids Mom only wanted them to have certain things (I had to return something on year as child changed their mind, but that's another story) so I found cash worked better. I always try to give them something small with the cash. One year it was their favorite candy, another year it was winter hats, this year I got them all Toddys (its a cloth for cleaning electronic screens). Toddy Link
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Post by ajsweetpea on Nov 3, 2017 15:46:27 GMT
I would just get her the gift card. As kids get older, they get harder to buy for and it is hard to know what they are into. My DD is always happy to receive gift cards and shop for herself. Some relatives do give her other gifts and some of them sit around and never get touched and I end up donating them. (Thankfully, she is always gracious about everything she receives! My husband has a younger cousin who would literally announce "I don't like this!" when he opened your present and I told myself then that my kids were NOT going to think that type of behavior is acceptable.) I think it is better to give your niece something she wants and will use instead of potentially wasting money on something she may not get any use out of. I like the idea of getting her something smaller to open such as candy along with the gift card.
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Deleted
Posts: 0
May 22, 2024 1:41:42 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Nov 3, 2017 15:47:15 GMT
Cash not gift cards. She wants the freedom of cash.
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Deleted
Posts: 0
May 22, 2024 1:41:42 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Nov 3, 2017 15:48:06 GMT
And one of those tracker chips.
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Post by bc2ca on Nov 3, 2017 15:49:29 GMT
I think it is hard for some of us to see a gift card as a thoughtful gift, especially when you can get all your Christmas shopping done at your local grocery store gift card center.
At this age, gift cards were the gift that kept giving for DD. She spent hours at the mall shopping with friends and felt pretty grownup pulling out her cards to pay. I would pick a store on her list, buy something small there and wrap it up with the gift card.
Another idea is to get her a fun wallet or purse to give with the gift card.
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LeaP
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,939
Location: Los Angeles, CA where 405 meets 101
Jun 26, 2014 23:17:22 GMT
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Post by LeaP on Nov 3, 2017 15:52:58 GMT
OK, thanks for the responses. I will go the gift card route with a small gift to go along side it. I guess gone are the days where she opens toys and squeals with delight. We don't do gifts on my side of the family since everyone is grown and DH and I don't have kids so this is our only official Christmas gift giving get-together. Maybe I'm trying just a tiny bit to keep her a child? Welcome to the sometimes not-so-wonderful world of teens. I have two and I feel your pain. Consider giving a gift card and a small something silly. My 14-year-old loves slime and squishies. If you have access to her Instagram take a gander and see what goofy stuff sparks her. As a rule, sometimes if I am out and see something hideous I pick it up for my 16-year-old (I might be at the tail end of this trend because she has borrowed my and my husband's clothes three times this week ). If you don't know her Instagram ask if you can follow her. My experience is that they loooove to have a large number of followers as long as your feed is not long, annoying or embarrassing. Also, mine love chocolate and anything Starbucks. Your mileage may vary, but I am certain there is still a lot of child in her. SaveSave
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Post by Really Red on Nov 3, 2017 15:57:10 GMT
I don't think it was all that bad. I would not have done that, but gift cards are what teens like.
Why don't you go to Pinterest and look at a fun way to give cash? There are a TON. I always make it fun for my teen nieces and nephews to open cash. One year I bought a cash maze and that was a giant hit. The $50 bill was inside and they had to figure out how to get it out!
Also, you can buy a pair of earrings or some small jewelry that is usually always welcome and have the cash in there.
This is not a big deal and very common. You just get to be more creative than usual. I'm glad she's appreciative
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River
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,516
Location: Alabama
Jun 26, 2014 15:26:04 GMT
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Post by River on Nov 3, 2017 16:05:48 GMT
I agree with other posters. Give her money or gift cards. I try to find a cute stocking, fill it with candy and maybe a few small things they'd like and add the money/card in the bottom. This has always been a hit for my nieces and nephews. Sometimes I wrap the filled stocking in a box for them to open.
My stocking gifts sparked a new fun hobby for one of my nieces, she now collects fun and odd ball stockings of all sizes. She enjoys bringing them out and displaying them throughout Christmas. She puts the date inside each stocking she gets and adds the person's name if it was given to her as a gift.
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Post by scrapmaven on Nov 3, 2017 16:17:58 GMT
Teenagers enjoy gift cards. It's not nearly as much fun as watching children open their toys w/excitement. Perhaps you could get her a gift card and a small something that she could unwrap, like earrings if she has pierced ears.
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Post by anniefb on Nov 3, 2017 16:40:54 GMT
I give gifts to a few teens and they always want cash or gift cards - it's just the age. I think a GC and small gift will be perfect.
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whambampam
Shy Member
Posts: 46
Aug 29, 2015 0:47:54 GMT
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Post by whambampam on Nov 3, 2017 16:44:55 GMT
13 = no job, no money, no personal freedom. Gift cards or cash = freedom. 13 is already so tough. I would give her cash &/or gift cards. Maybe in a nice wallet. Or make it a treasure hunt to find the cards. Or a Christmas quiz geared towards her. 1 gift card or cash amount for every correct answer or requested action. Or wrap the thing in about 100 boxes & make her work for it.
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MsKnit
Pearl Clutcher
RefuPea #1406
Posts: 2,648
Jun 26, 2014 19:06:42 GMT
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Post by MsKnit on Nov 3, 2017 16:53:48 GMT
Find something small that she can open. Crazy socks, a scarf. (There is a young lady in my Chem class that wears the cutest scarfs. And, many of the girls wear crazy, mismatched socks. So, I don't thing you can go wrong with those.) Fill the rest of the money you would spend on gift cards.
I've been asked what I want. It is usually gift cards. When dh and I first got married, I asked for a gift card to Lowe's. We were painting and redoing things. Frankly, we should have kept some of the down payment back to do things to the house. However, we were young and trying to be responsible. I even gave the reason why. Not one gift card to Lowe's.
With our nieces and nephews, we give a gift card or a check. Sometimes it is in an envelope. Sometimes it comes wrapped in something cute and inexpensive. For example, I have found cute little Christmas stockings for $1-2. I put the gift card(s) in that with a candy bar or whatever will fit.
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MsKnit
Pearl Clutcher
RefuPea #1406
Posts: 2,648
Jun 26, 2014 19:06:42 GMT
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Post by MsKnit on Nov 3, 2017 16:57:03 GMT
OK, thanks for the responses. I will go the gift card route with a small gift to go along side it. I guess gone are the days where she opens toys and squeals with delight. We don't do gifts on my side of the family since everyone is grown and DH and I don't have kids so this is our only official Christmas gift giving get-together. Maybe I'm trying just a tiny bit to keep her a child? They do grow up. The first year there were no Lego sets under the tree was hard. Christmas day was always filled with playing with the new Lego. *sigh*
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Post by ScrapbookMyLife on Nov 3, 2017 18:23:26 GMT
I am a gift card giver. I love being a gift card receiver. I love shopping or eating out, and having someone(gift card) else pay. Gift cards allow me to splurge a little.
Just because a giver doesn't like gift cards, because they perceive it as "nothing to open" or "not a personalized" gift, that is simply their opinion. As a lover of being a gift card recipient, I truly see a gift card as a gift, not a piece of plastic or a plastic card. When a gift card giver, gifts me with a gift card to my favorite stores or restaurants, that mean a lot to me, and makes me think, they really put a lot of thought into this gift.
The giving and receiving of gift cards, is "to each, their own".
Personally, I would give your Niece gift card(s) to her favorite store(s). If you feel the need, to have her "open a gift", put them in a inexpensive wallet or purse, and wrap that.
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used2scrap
Drama Llama
Posts: 6,036
Jan 29, 2016 3:02:55 GMT
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Post by used2scrap on Nov 3, 2017 19:13:11 GMT
OK, thanks for the responses. I will go the gift card route with a small gift to go along side it. I guess gone are the days where she opens toys and squeals with delight. We don't do gifts on my side of the family since everyone is grown and DH and I don't have kids so this is our only official Christmas gift giving get-together. Maybe I'm trying just a tiny bit to keep her a child? Unfortunately at the teen age it seems if you want the squeals of delight it's the big ticket item or cash. Signed mom of 16 and 13 year old with all her hopes pinned on the 8 year old but even his lego wishes are several hundred dollars!
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Post by coaliesquirrel on Nov 3, 2017 19:15:17 GMT
My nephew is a young adult in the Navy several states away. One Christmas when he was still living on base, we wanted to give him restaurant GCs to eat out, since that wouldn't be more stuff to add to his limited space, but we couldn't figure out what places would be good. We decided on cash, and got it all in ones. I whipped out my Cricut and made a pie-shaped box we filled with crunched up bils, a popcorn box we filled with crunched up bills interspersed with yellow pompoms, and a fry box we filled with rolled & taped bills. The 20yo LOVED it! He was delighted each time he opened one (I put them in separate gift bags).
On the receiving side, DD is 10, but she has SO MANY things, and we literally get to Christmas every year with gifts from the prior year that have never been opened up or played with/used at all, so we have gone to asking DMIL (who doesn't so much like to shop anyway) for experience memberships. So far, we've had family memberships to Legoland, the local aquarium, a water park, and some other local attractions. Whenever we use the memberships, we either send her pictures and let her know how much fun we had and what was special about that trip, or we post about it on FB where she'll be sure to see it. I think it makes her feel like she really did give us something special to be reminded of it through the year.
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Post by mrssmith on Nov 3, 2017 19:23:05 GMT
Often times I purchase a small item from the place I’m getting the gift card so there’s a little something to open. That's what I was going to say. Even my 9 year old is asking for GC's. She would be happy with anything, but the experience of shopping on her own is kind of a novelty to her. However, I totally get that takes the fun out of shopping for gifts for other people. If there's a book on the list, can you get one by the same author?
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Deleted
Posts: 0
May 22, 2024 1:41:42 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Nov 3, 2017 19:25:58 GMT
I have 2 niece’s that live 2 states away. We talk often but I don’t get to BE with them often. When they were teen, I began giving them cash & putting it in a tin of candy or cookies. One year, the younger one wanted gas money for her new car so her cash was stuffed in a box with a toy car.
Now, they are adults, married or in a relationship. I give the couple the amount they would spend on a dinner out & put it in some kind of fun box to wrap. This year, I’m thinking a small pizza box & let my grandson “decorate “ the inside of the box with pizza making pictures cut from a magazine.
My sister & I decided this type of gift was giving an experience.
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Post by LisaDV on Nov 3, 2017 19:51:50 GMT
Once my nephew reached the teenage years, he became really hard to buy for. I always gave him cash with either a book or a dvd. One year I gave it with a graphic T that I knew he’d like.
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