What to Get Kids for their Birthdays
Because you used up all your best ideas at Christmas
Dear Friends,
As you may have guessed from my post on Christmas gifts for children, I really love to give gifts, especially to the kids in my life. I also love to receive gifts; this must be one of my “love languages.”
But I don’t love the expense or the stress that can occur if I haven’t planned ahead.
With this in mind (and also to celebrate the first birthday of the Arena!), the ever-thoughtful
asked me to write up some gift recommendations and other thoughts on managing the kid birthday gift needs that pop up throughout the year.What to give that will not break the bank but will indeed, I hope, please the child or teen? And how to manage each gift choice as it arises without having to start from square one each time?
A taste:
“I have news for you: babies don’t care about presents. They will occasionally pay attention to a toy, but what they really need is time and support. That is, their parents need time and support. Here is how…”
Read my babies-through-teens birthday gift guide here:
“What to Get the Kids You Know for their Birthdays”
Ha - you had me laughing at this: "Young men in high school like black stuff, leather stuff, and canvas stuff, depending on their personalities. They also like very stupid socks and strange T-shirts with yetis on them." Great concrete ideas you share! We often use birthdays for buying "extensions" for their hobbies such as electronics replacement parts for RC planes. new pellets for their airsoft, a few more months on the rock climbing pass, whittling tools, watch repair kits, and the ever expensive role-playing game books. My daughter (18) has been especially thankful for Starbucks giftcards, because she likes to go with her friends but loathes spending the extra money.
And of course books and stationary are always a hit too :)
Thanks for this fun start to the day!
Love the book suggestions! I almost always give books (former teacher here) and usually use the booklists for each age level from Read Aloud Revival as a jumping-off point.