In despair, what to buy a nearly 15 year old who claims he doesn't want anything for Christmas?

[Dumbledoresgirl]

He isn't my only problem child. I have an older son who never wants anything either, but he at least has a hobby we can occasionally buy things for.

Nearly 15 year old has no hobbies, no interest in music, fashion, sport, books, nothing.

He sits on his computer most of the time, playing games. He has a headset for the computer. His games are all online, not the sort you can buy.

He has a slight interest in his appearance, nothing exceptional, but I am just trying to think of anything to say about him in case it triggers any ideas.

I am sick to the back teeth of trying to wheedle ideas from him. TBH, I am sick to the back teeth of this whole present buying issue we get twice a year at Christmas and birthday, but I am trying to stay upbeat and pleasant when I speak to him. Why bother you might ask. Well, only because he has other siblings who do have things they want, and I can't give them presents but not give him (and his older brother) anything.

Any generic ideas?

My DS is a bit like this. For him I have got;

indoor skydiving tickets (Tesco clubcard)
a gadget that makes the inside of your PC go different colours
a 3D pen
framed posters for his room
bluetooth headphones for running (does it once a week reluctantly)

And for relatives to buy him I have said:
board games
cinema voucher
Vouchers for Costa/Starbucks, Game, Amazon, Waterstones, Steam

For my 15 yo gamer son
Voucher for Steam - where he plays his online games
New gamer mouse
New computer chair
New wallet which is the only thing he asked for and in it is a costa gift card cinema gift card and a subway gift card.
Few hoodies

Cineworld Christmas gift box with vouchers for 2 tickets and snacks

cineworld Christmas box

I’d buy an experience day or a place on a course (eg tennis academy, surfing residential, or closer to home something like photography or cooking).

Surely the greatest gift would be time away from his computer realising there is fun in RL.

Do you have a Game store near you OP?

DSis has gotten my nephew a years pass to their gaming room (not sure if it's in all their stores yet). We had a nosey last time we went shopping - looks really good. They have some really impressive looking kit (well tbh I didn't know what I was looking at but lots of flashing lights & angsty looking teenagers in there)

I think the idea is that they get to try all the new games & consoles etc but whilst having others there to mix with. DNephew struggles with friendships so she's hoping it helps him to find his feet a bit as they're new to the area.

This is the website link www.belong.gg/

Failing that I'd go with others & wrap some notes

My ds is similar. He has eventually conceded that new headphones would be useful. He needs new trainers so will also get those. I will then get other useful bits - socks, tie, toiletries, sweets, tshirt - to bulk it out.

Thanks for the cineworld link.
Great idea to get my 17 year old ds out a bit more.

Amazon voucher
Cash
Funky usb stick
Bean bag for bedroom/gaming
Lush hair stuff is great

Does he like star wars? I saw the star wars electric razors which look great for a star wars fan.

Also I he is into gaming does he play any retro games? Truffle shuffle is a great site with lots of retro game themes gifts and t-shirts. Even for someone who is not into clothes I'm sure they would love.

Does he have a gaming chair? Are they any upgrades he could make to his computer to make it more gamer friendly?

If he genuinely doesn't want stuff it seems silly to buy things just for the sake of it.

Is there anything he needs like new school bag/shoes/ clothing?

If not I'd just give money

Ds(14) has

Footie boots, football. Shin guards, shin stays
Posters (he has frames already, just new posters for them, changing from a Xbox game posters to football team posters)
North Face and Superdry clothing
Electric ⚡️ shock game
Big tub of haribo sour cherries (to share at next sleepover)
Mug cake
Microsoft points
Cash for and Xbox games (he doesn’t have any he wants now)
Xbox headset (£15 turtle beach)
Grips for back of Xbox controller (£4)
Calculator for school
Maths geometry set for school (getting desperate for cheap stocking fillers at this point!!)
Coaster for bedroom with funny minions saying
Wallet
Mobile phone key ring power bank
Wireless Earphones for gym
Mobile phone stand
3m charging cable
Calendar
Football team top trumps
Football winter traing gloves (£3.99, really good quality from decathlon)
Scratch card
Bottle of Schloer
Novelty money tray for bedroom
Screaming monkey toy
Driving lesson
Lindt Santa

(Sounds like a lot written down but a big chunk were only a couple of pounds each)

Gift cards for wherever he'll buy his next laptop/computer

Or Op you could listen to what your sons are telling you, they don't want anything, and just give them money so when they do want something they can buy the thing they do actually want.

Why let it worry you so much, he has said he doesn't want anything so just give him the cash equivalent of what you give your other children. If he really doesn't want/need money he can put it in his savings.

Add a few chocolates/boxer shorts/socks - Christmas shopping done. There is really no point in buying things for the sake of buying things .

I have a teenage DS, he is getting stocking fillers (socks/smellies/chocs etc/school stationery); an electric razor & £100. He will be happy with that, we are not stressed.

Does he have a comfortable gaming chair?
How about a Razer mouse or gaming surface? (What I would call a mousemat)
Tickets to the next Insomnia event?
How good isn’t his PC? Perhaps an upgrade on one of the components? More RAM or a better graphics card will always go down with gamers.
Or appeal to his inner geek and buy him some crypto currency?

Sounds just like myDS2! It’s drives you bonkers I know, Steam voucher are a good one, DS2 says he only wants money and a nice box of chocolates this year. They will grow out of it OP!

Nip and fab teen acne range seem to have good reviews.

I think we have the same son! Mine has eventually said he'd like a second monitor and some noise cancelling headphones.

I wish people wouldn’t assume that parents of teenagers who don’t want to do things are happy with that state of affairs. It’s actually very upsetting and causes a lot of conflict. Having a child who appears to have zero interest in real life is not fun.

I have an almost 15 yr old ds too-

He's getting

An iPhone 7 plus ( joint from me and his dad, we are separated )

Xbox S - he currently has the Xbox One. This is from his dad.

4K Television for his bedroom wall. Current one won't work.

Aftershave

Gaming chair

Nando's voucher

Astro boots

Clothes

Fifa points

Premier league footballs

Gaming capture card

Few odds and sods for stocking, hate buying tat so will be useful stuff and chocs etc.

He asked for a bearded dragon safe to say he won't be getting that.

@biggreen I appreciate that but I think it's a separate issue.
Encouraging other interests etc is important but that's something you could do any time not just as a Christmas present.

My almost 13 year old has very very narrow interests too, so I do understand the frustration of it and I would dearly love him to find some other things he enjoys.

But I've learned that spending money on things he doesn't want is just pointless. I have found things in his room months later that haven't ever been taken out of the packaging.

It just seems wasteful.

cakey

This is a problem here too. Ds received a really brilliant printer/scanner 2 years ago for Christmas from his grandparents and it is on top of his wardrobe untouched, the seal isn't even broken on the box.

Same for the £200 camera his dad bought him last year. His dad is a photographer so thought ds would like a camera too, complete waste of money.

Money towards redecorating his bedroom? Something tangible like that? Would he like something for comfort? I knew a 16yr old who was a gamer who wanted a monogrammed silk dressing gown to pose about in.
Super lovely duvet? New bed linen? Cat?

Agree @BigGreenOlives My just teen is fast going that way. I think it is really bad for his mental health. He is withdrawing from everything.

Don't buy him things he's not interested in just for the sake of it. There's been loads of ideas on here, so pick a couple that he would actually like and use and give him the rest in cash.

Presumably he's going to something more than play computer games for the rest of his life and at one point will need/want money for university, a car, house deposit, money to set up home whether buying or renting, driving lessons, bigger/better computer, clothes or all manner of other things, so having money available when he does need it is better than a load of random stuff now that he's not interested in.