Only likes phones & phone systems ,iOS and samsung

[Alakazam8]

Hi I’m really stuck for all presents for an 11 year old boy. He hasn’t really come up with a list, except two wildly unaffordable ipad. Suggestions. He has a very narrow range of interests IOS mainly and loves apple, likes watching young sheldon and local buses. I’m struggling to find anything abs he has had a difficult year so don’t want him disappointed. I’ve googled and anazoned an awful lot but still nothing really. Does anyone have ideas/lists that may help?

Did you tell him the budget?

I have given him an idea that it won’t be as much as he (clearly) thought. Also checked what he has had previous years to see if there has been a precedent set of really expensive gifts- there hasn’t!!!

I have read other lists here for tweens/teens/boys but nothing really seems to fit the bill unfortunately either…

So, quite clearly the solution is to give him the actual budget. why do you feel you cannot do that?

my children have always known their christmas budget and their lists have always been to the penny. If not they have asked if it is ok to go 56p or £8 over budget. When they were very little they used the smyths catalogue and added everything up. Taking off things and swapping for others. It really helped know what was a priority for them, teaches them about money and value, and they're using maths skills in real life.

I suppose it depends on your family situation. There are good but complex reasons why I haven’t given him a budget yet but will consider it if it is the only way we can do this.

the only complex reason you would have to not telling him what he has to spend is that you dont want him to know how little he has to spend. But these things are important.

instead of giving him any idea youre going to try to find things he hasnt asked for, probably doesnt want and will most likely be a waste of money. It doesnt make sense.

Really? Ok then. Perhaps I’ll look/ask somewhere else. Don’t wish to get into explaining complexities I’m dealing with just to get some ideas for Christmas gifts. Will consider it though as I stated above

Assume he has a mobile phone already? How about accessories - clip on camera thing (to make it wide lens?), phone cases with his initials or favourite anime/ film character, white apple-style earbuds? You can get customised cases for the earbuds too.

Thanks so much @SalGoodwoman accessories for his phone are a good idea. Will look at those. Also has headphones but would like the personalised cases.

Hi my children don't know the budget and I didn't realise that was a common thing.
Could you gently push him into some new interests do you think if you think it's too narrow?

Will try to encourage other interests but probably not the right time for that for him.
ive never told other children my budget and don’t think my friends/family do with their kids either!! Didn’t expect that!

Would he like a trip to your nearest city to ride the buses there or is it just the local ones ? I'd email your local bus company and see if someone at the depot might let him look around the driver's area (if that would interest him) and explain some of the controls.

Young Driver (and probably other companies) do driving lessons for kids 10+. If driving a bus is a dream then learning to drive would be the first step. I might be thinking too NT for your son though.

Ds has a Christmas wish list - but has always known he won't get everything, I use it as a guideline.
He's 12 this year, but on his list are:

Gaming chair

Bluetooth speaker

Airpod ear thingies (he has a Xaomi, so they're compatible, we don't have anything apple)

Play station duvet cover (or camouflage!)

Some funny pens (he has a tank pen, wants
more, they're cheap enough for his stocking)

Dressing gown & fluffy slippers, cos he keeps stealing mine!

Fuzzy onesie for bed.

Nike bumbag for carrying his phone/money.

A box of Nestle Caja Roja.

Blueprint paper & pens to draw on it (I haven't looked into this at all...).

Cushion covers for the two giant cushions on his bed: Union Jack & Ireland flag.

Strip of LED lights for his bedroom.

Previous years gifts have been: Sony cybershot camera, binoculars, compass, penknife & balsa wood for carving, metal detector (gets used a lot!), walkie talkies, that moon light that changes colour - I've seendit advertised everywhere this year! Oh, and a 'create your own comics' book of comic panels you can draw in, he loved that.

I hope that helps. He has grown out of toys, this is the first year he hasn't asked for Lego <sniff>

Thanks @elQuintoConyo those ideas are a great starting point- some of those will really fit. I’ve contacted the local bus company and they said they would send him some logo’d stuff which he’ll love, it’s the other things I’m stuck with.
it’s mainly local buses but tried to organise a visit to the bus garage but I think that is hard to get permission for (elf and safety)

Any poster ideas or things to put up in his room would be useful too- haven’t managed to find anything as yet.

just found some great cushions that would be good- flag designs so thanks for that idea!

Can you do a trip to a transport museum? There's a few nationally.

Vintage vehicle events, steam rallies etc may well have vintage buses he can look round.

What is it he likes about buses and Young Sheldon? Is it the science, maths, engineering etc or something else?

I can never link from Amazon but there’s a “just a boy who loves buses” notebook that might be a nice stocking filler for him?

Also red bubble have some bus enthusiast stuff.

Oh thanks for that idea- will have a look at Red bubble.
i think Young Sheldon it’s the central character but don’t know what the interest in buses is about- will try to find out.

Some very narrow minded people on here regards family complexities. The OP doesn't have to explain her family circumstances on here but I sense it is probably not her own DC she is buying for here

Is it the programming side of things he is into? Maybe a Raspberry Pi would work if so?

No not programming yet- might like that when he is a bit older though!

I got my husband - but it's ended up in DS' room! - a blueprint of our car, as a framed poster. It was from Red Bubble. It's really lovely. Our car is 25 years old (blimey!) and a classic shape, it was a huge hit with both of them, but hangs in DS' room as somehow he bagsed it!

Oh, and there's a great website called wicked uncle that you can find all sorts of very cool random things. They do great build-a-radio advent calendars, for example. Well worth a browse. You can set it to boy/girl and age.

Thanks for the recommendations they have really helped. There is still nothing forthcoming from him unfortunately but hopefully I’ll get some things he really likes. I’m looking for a nice world map for his room if anyone has any examples of those