Is a 16th birthday extra special and if so…

[Toosoonforahotcrossbun]

What on earth are you buying your teen girls?

DD is 16 next month and hasn’t asked for anything.

She is a girly girl. Likes make up (though doesn’t wear lots), doing her hair nice. Likes nice clothes.

Im stuck and any help would be very much appreciated!!

My DD got the shark for her 16th birthday and absolutely loves it! It's a really good syler too. She uses it daily. She was made up to get it. I got DD a photo card with one picture every year up to 16. She loved that too

Leave home (whether parents like it or not)
Work (as you said)
Leave school (though in England need to be in some educational system as well)
Legally change your name
Medical (deemed to have capacity to make decisions)
Age of Consent
Open a bank account (though some banks still require parents signature)

I can't think of others off the top of my head, but I'm sure Google could help if you're genuinely interested.

My mum was the same and ota so fitting it all stopped once she died. My birthdays have been so depressing since (because my mumma made the birthday-not the gifts etc)
Jewelry is a good shout. Nice necklace or pandora bracelet. Love the bracelet as she can add to it over the years as they have charms for all occasions! She can look at it when she's older and know they were all special charms for a special time. 🥰 Hope she has a great time x

The OP is not in England, though. The OP has already confirmed they are in Scotland where at 16 you can do more than you might expect:-

• Get married.
• Enter into a civil partnership.
• Consent to lawful sexual intercourse.
• Leave home without your parents/guardians’ consent.
• Apply for your own home through your local council.
• Have access to many more banking facilities, including all adult services, except overdrafts and credit.
• Buy wine, beer or cider to drink in a restaurant with a meal when a responsible adult is present, but cannot buy it in a bar, off-licence or supermarket.
• Join a trade union.
• Drive a moped, small agricultural tractor, or mowing machine.
• Leave school. If you are 16 between 1 March and 30 September you can leave after 31 May of that year and if you are 16 between 1 October and the last day of February you can leave at the start of the Christmas holidays in that school year.
• Get a full-time job and pay National Insurance.
• Choose your own GP.
• Change your name without the consent of your parent or guardian.
• Be sent to a young offenders’ institution.
• Be prosecuted in the Justice of the Peace, Sheriff or High Court
• Stand for election to become a member of a Community Council in certain areas.
• If adopted, you have the right to access information relating to your birth and adoption. You can obtain your original birth certificate and request a copy of your adoption record and your court record. Find out more on the Citizen’s Advice Scotland website.
• Join the armed forces, but not to train as an officer. You will also need parental consent if you are under the age of 18. You can apply from the age of 15 years 9 months.
• Be legally responsible for babysitting.
• Apply for a passport without parental/guardian consent.
• Consent to medical treatment (if you are under 16 you can also consent to medical treatment if you are capable of understanding the nature and possible consequences of the procedure and treatment).
• Opt-out of being an organ donor.
• Earn the National Minimum Wage for 16 and 17 year olds.
• Work as a waiter or waitress in a hotel or restaurant.
• Buy Premium Bonds.
• Get a piercing without parental/guardian consent.
• Buy a pet – you can own a pet before you’re 16 but you can’t buy one yourself without a parent present until you’re 16.
• You must pay full fare on trains (unless you have a Young Scot card which gives you up to a 1/2 off train fares!).
• Vote in a Scottish Parliament election and in a local council election.

I never understood what is sweet about being 16! It's sexist as it only applies to girls as far as I know. I've never seen a boy have a sweet 16 party!

Yeh there is google but I didn’t see any harm in asking the poster who said it

I have always planned to buy my daughter a wooden chest/box (not an huge one) and fill it with books by women for her 16th. I know she will love this, I’m not just living out my own bookworm fantasies!

We used the occasion to start a Tiffany jewellry collection, and we added to it for other special occasions, 18th, 21st, graduation.

As others have said there are a few things that become legal at 16 so I treat it as a biggish birthday . It’s in the GCSE year and both of mine have shown real maturity in the run up - thought that needed recognition .

Festival ticket for mine and I have given really careful thought to a message in their cards encouraging them for the future and letting them know how much they are loved .

In our family big birthdays are 10, 13, 16, 17, 18, 21, then 30, 40, 50 etc etc.

So there are a lot of big birthdays in quick succession in your late teens/early 20s.

We don't spend a lot but there are generally some number balloons and a meal out etc on top of the present that doesn't happen on other birthdays.

That said I have spent quite a lot on DS2s upcoming 16th as I've bought him a laptop that he will need for college next year.

Oh it sooooooo is ....

My daughter is sixteen this year too.
Trouble is, shes not a girlie girl lol.
We are doing a hot tub party for her with a few friends (if u dont have a tub, u can hire one) havnt decided if she wants nibbles or bbq yet, but will let her decide. As for gift, she will probably go on a shopping spree so we will give her money. She also went in a 3 night trip to Iceland with her school class this year (which cost over £1k) and she knows that was part of her birthday too.

Ive already started ordering bunting/balloon arch etc to make it extra special... just nithung pink apparently lol..

Experience gift like a spa day or mani-pedi?

Since when?
16 meant nothing when I was young. What's changed?
If anything there are fewer rights as they can't get married at 16 any more.

I don't think the medical one is black and white. You could make decisions before or after 16. I think maybe 16 gives a right to confidentiality.

When did that start?

such a lovely memory❤

I booked my grand daughter for a make up session at Charlotte Tilbury-it was £35 for 30 mins and she could spend that towards any purchase. It was age appropriate and she had such a lovely experience-she didn't want to wash her face that evening!

When they turn 16 🤣🤣

Seriously though, all birthdays are special but ive always made my children's 16th extra special. I have 3 daughters and 1 son ...

1st born is 38 this year
2nd born is 36 this year
3rd (son) is 18 this year (which is also special)
4th will be 16 this year... the last of my children so will be even EXTRA extra special lol

You argued that 16 is important in general, not just for your children.
I'm asking since when, because when I was young, it wasn't. It was 18 and then 21, then the ones ending with 0.

Abbott Lyon have lovely, reasonable jewellery xx

DD is a similar age and looks like every other teenager you see wandering around primark of a Saturday. Things she has loved recently as presents were an oodie and a Pandora bracelet. Now she’s old enough to go alone (well without an adult!) she absolutely loves tickets to events such as music festivals and gigs.

I'm nearly 66. For my 16th, my mum followed the family tradition of buying me a signet ring.

Thank you - I’ve started to buy presents!! Her best friend suggested a couple of brands she thought she would like so have started to order some casual clothes and make up in addition to the necklace.

She has a Pandora bracelet and watch - I will buy her a 16 charm for sure to add to this. She wears her jewellery every day.

I got my DD a compact record player. Looks like a little suitcase. She decided she wants to start buying vinyl. It wasn’t massively expensive but that’s what she asks for. We went for a family meal and that was about it. She has had a Pandora bracelet for years so we usually get a charm for birthdays and Christmas.