What does your 13yo want for Xmas (except for money)? struggling with a spoilt nephew that has everything.

[PippiCalzelunghe]

I normally buy books as he likes reading and I think it's always a good present (feel free to tell me what your child reads). But I am worried I am getting boring so any other idea is welcomed.

and a 9 year ols as well since you're there...

TIA

I buy my 14 year old nephews clothes - tops usually. Apparently I buy them the coolest stuff.

Is the 9 year old a boy too?

13 year old - what's he into? Give us a few clues! Books might be risky at that age, as he may have read it already but the Young Bond series is pretty good; otherwise a fairly reader-friendly "adult" book - not my sort of thing at all but many of my Year 10 pupils enjoyed The De Vinci Code for example.

if he has a game console (which I assume he does as most 13yo boys do IME) then what about a Game voucher? that is what I am getting my nephew of the exact same age in fact!

either that or maybe Warhammer bits, sports vouchers, smellys (as at this age they just noticing girls and may want to smell good to impress), or maybe even some top trumps.

thanks for your suggestions. apparently all they want is money according to their mum so... easily done albeit quite sad IMO.

game voucher sounds good though, it's a half way thing.

i have a (spoilt) nephew (15) and niece (13) too... spoilt in that she is getting an i-phone for christmas (seriously).

anyway, nephew has asked for a jumper or something similar
niece wants money, but i think i will get her an i-tunes voucher.

at least with a voucher you know what they will spend it on.

I feel quite old as I'm about to start a sentence with 'in my days'... but really we had a computer that lasted until it was too old to cope, there was none of this updating all the time: a new console every year and mobile phones and i-pods, and god knows what else. I am trying to think what I wanted/got when I was that age but memory fails me... maybe I am really getting old.

BTW what happens to all the old stuff, like last year play station etc?

what about:
mp3 player
camera
cd
skateboard
necklace (boy one) think its a chain
alarm clock
game for console
lockable box
dvd (loads of new comedy things out)
teddy (they are still babys at 13 )

Amazon voucher? Then he can choose his won books/CDs/DVDs

dmo believe it or not they've got all the above!

(pippi wonders if her daughters will also become this spoilt in 12 years time...)

If he likes books get him book tokens.

Once they hit a certain age, money or appropriate vouchers are never wrong whereas trying to be non-boring could just be very saaad.

I'd agree, book tokens. Something they can spend themselves is never completely boring IMO and at least you are being honest about what you think is a good present. And enough for ONE paperback is plenty, though enough for two would be very generous.

how about this, its got novelty value for at least a few hours! got my nephew one last year, went done very well...

should have read, 'went down very well' of course! seriously, massive hit for him and his mates, dad, brother and even my mum had a go!

I have a soon-to-be 13 year old stepson and a 10 year old stepson.

The ten year old has asked for money from everyone to buy himself a laptop.

The thirteen year old wants Kapla, a book on maths and a book on dictation.

loads of gadgety stuff at iwantoneofthose.com

plus you can usually find a discount code online somewhere.

Anna, your stepsons sound wild

Yes 20Q would be good for the 9 year old, if he's not got it already. Somebody on here suggested it to me and my daughter (now 10) has had hours of fun with it, as have various aunties, uncles, grandparents, visiting friends etc.

thanks that 20q sounds really good. i will get that and if they've got it I am sure DH will love it

mummymagic -

This time last year it was all BMX bikes, iPods, Wii's etc. But the elder one has got really into school and being top of his class and doesn't have time to think about consumer goods anymore