Have I just bought a kid a really fucking inappropriate gift??

[twiney]

Help!

My DP has 3 nephews aged 7, 14 and 18.

I bought them a Xmas present each and I think I've fucked up the one for the middle boy, but need MN to help!

He's a kind of smart, wacky kid with a great sense of humour, he's basically the family "clown".

I bought him this fairly dense wry book, I've got it in French (they're French) but in English I believe it's called The Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook.

Basically loads of detailed advice on how to escape quicksand, fight off an octopus, etc, you get the idea.

Except just flicking through it again as I was about to wrap it...it has some absolutely fucking ridiculous and annoying parts such as "how to fake an orgasm". What the fuck?! First of all, what a dumb and immature sensationalist addition to an otherwise entertaining book.

And second of all, I cant now give this to a 14 year old kid, can I?! I dont know whats appropriate. They are French and pretty relaxed and not pearl clutchy, but I dunno..

I'm so pissed off, DP is leaving really early tomorrow morning so I dont have time to get him something else.

I got the older kid a shot set so can't swap theirs. I could replace the book with the younger kids pressie (brain teaser thing) but then the younger kid will be without.

Thoughts?

a pocket knife/Swiss army knife or a ‘scout’s knife’ is fine for most 7yos imo.

I had those when I was in kindergarten.

An automatic flick knife however is imo spectacularly stupid and actually counts as a weapon in some countries...

Give it to him.

Last year my nephew (14) got Cards Against Humanity for Christmas. Playing that with him was an experience - particularly explaining terms like ‘cottaging’

Pretend you didn't know. It's fine.

DS was 14 when the very first Inbetweeners episode was aired, we all watched it together and howled laughing, he watched every episode and the films with us thereafter.

It's fine.

*SoupDragon

You can’t stick together pages about sex. That would be suspicious*

Loudly sniggering at this.

He’s French, it will be fine.

He's probably sexually active !, the parents might not know !

Supermarkets open till 10 or 24hr one near us. Just get him a bobble hat and scarf or something!

I got the 7 year old a zippo and a flick knife, now having second thoughts..

He's French so he's probably sexually active and his parents buy him the condoms.

Fine for a 14 yo! And I say this as a bit of a prude

My parents bought me Stephen Fry's The Liar for Christmas when I was 14. Now that was an eye-opener

It is a book that his auntie and uncle think is funny , it will never be opened or read so I wouldn't worry.
probably ..

Yeh is be having second thoughts about the flick knife and zippo

If somebody gave that to my 14yo Id think it a great book.
I’d take more notice of the escape quicksand type pages.

My sisters grew up in France. Honestly, they're a lot less prudish than the Brits and won't bat an eyelid. We've got that book, it's brilliant, I'd give it to him without a qualm.

These sound like great well thought out gifts that teen/younger boys will actually want and enjoy! Good job OP!