The holidays are fast-approaching and our great joy as parents and grandparents is to see little faces light up as they open much-anticipated birthday presents. Eagerly they strip away wrappings to reveal the dolls, trucks and games that they have requested. As they laugh and smile and radiate excitement we oldsters are once-again pleased that we have given joy to our loved ones. There is great satisfaction in giving a gift that “fits”. But as our children get older it isn’t as easy to satisfy them nor is it as easy to anticipate what will bring about those happy and excited faces. None of us want to give a gift that misses the mark.
One of the keys to finding the perfect gifts for our pre-teens or teens is truly knowing who they are and what they enjoy. If you live far away from them and don’t have the opportunity to visit with them in their home setting, you have an even greater challenge in keeping up with their current interests. However you will find that making an extra effort to either talk to them personally or to talk to their parents will pay dividends in the end.
Is your young man or woman a sports enthusiast? Does he or she have more of a creative nature? Perhaps he enjoys hands on science activities or she enjoys writing. Whatever the current hobby or activity may be, your efforts in finding a gift that dovetails with it will show your child that you took a personal interest in them. So often we hear that teens feel isolated and unloved. They are going through difficult transitions and it is vitally important that the adults in their lives continue to play steadfast mentoring roles for them. So do a little research before shopping for those older children this year and reap the rewards of genuine hugs and thank-yous.
Here are some suggestions.
For active pre-teens and teens:
biking equipment such as helmets, pads, blinking lights
skateboards and equipment
snowboard or ski equipment, clothing or tow passes
dancepads that are compatible with home games such as wii or x box
sporting equipment, soccer, baseball, football, etc.
For the creative:
art supplies: easel, canvas, brushes and paints
knitting books, needles and yarn
beading supplies.
If you have some ideas and successes please let us know!
