What are you getting your parents?

[issantahereyet]

Just that, really!
Have the trickiest parents to gift, so just nosey curious what everyone else is getting theirs!

I'm planning on getting mine a parking permit for all the costal car parks where we live. They don't need any more "stuff" as such.

Haven't the bloody foggiest!

DMIL is frail now, doesn’t eat much and doesn’t want stuff.

However she does like sending cards so I’ve bought a nice box and filled it with birthday cards and stamps.

A gift voucher for the usual place they do the food shop. They aren't well off, and really hard to buy for. They seem to appreciate this and not other gifts I've tried in the past.

Just my Dad to buy for now and I'll probably buy him another cardigan and some chocolates. I know it's really boring but his eyesight isn't so good these days, which rules out a lot of the things he enjoyed in the past (jigsaws, reading etc.). He's doesn't really have any hobbies. Mainly he watches TV and you can't really buy stuff related to TV. The only other thing I can think of is pyjamas or maybe a dressing gown. Although he's not really a dressing gown person and probably only wears one on the odd occasion he's admitted to hospital.

My mum and lndecided today to only spend £10 on each other this year - sounds really mean but we spend loads of time together all year and both prefer to do things than receive things so it works well for us

DGran is getting a new bird table.

I do hampers for the adults in my life. I usually just do general Christmas food in the hamper and then one or two personal touches, my mum likes candles so will add a candle to hers, DGP’s like a drink so will put a bottle of wine in theirs, DF likes a Terry’s chocolate orange so that’s what he will get.

@tarheelbaby so sorry for your loss💐

My mum is getting perfume and skincare bits. She's also getting nice smelling candles. Then a shop voucher. And a decoration bowl.
My dad is getting a new shirt, slippers and a new book. Also some CDs!

Also a bunch of chocolate and a cheese board for both of them.

Arran do lovely diffusers and candles

My DFIL is towards the end of his chemo and has been hitting the box sets so we're getting him a NOW TV voucher.

Previous successful presents for DPILs have been Oodies, electric blankets, cashmere wrist warmers, fluffy socks, walking shoes and a put together hamper of treat / unusual foodstuff like chorizo chutney, Hotel Chocolat dip selection

I’m doing a photo calendar for each set of parents with photos of the grandchildren. We have a blended family so lots of sets to buy for! I do one for each couple individually and include as many photos as I can of them with the grandchildren. Also will have more photos of me with the children for my parents, more of DH and children for his etc. I will probably do a nice box of chocolates to go with these for them all too. I’ll also make some cards with their little foot or hand prints/some type of Christmas craft.

I always stick to sentimental, consumable or an event/activity for parents unless they tell me they’d like something specific. In the past I’ve done;

sentimental - photos of the grandchildren on canvases, photo books with photos of them etc. (this may work less well when they’ve grown up and are less cute!! But they’ve always been a big hit so far). I did Storyworth one year and that was a hit - they get an email every week with a question about their life, childhood etc. They reply to the email and at the end of the year they get a book with all their answers. I think this will maybe make a nice memento for us as a family one day. A cheaper version of this are the “grandma/grandad tell me” books - loads on Amazon and I’ve done those before too. If you have more to spend the aura photo frames are amazing - I went with that one because it doesn’t require a subscription. It plays videos as well as photos, and you can add to it from an app on your phone as well so I go on occasionally and add new photos. I think multiple people can share to the same frame so you could do it is as a joint gift with siblings and all add photos. To make it extra special you could scan in some old photos that aren’t digitised so they can see their memories every day.

consumables - candles, chocolates, cheese gift sets, hampers. Our local farm shop will let you choose things and then package them all in a hamper beautifully for about £7, which I think is worth it as it tends to cost me about that to go and buy a basket and the paper etc. this is also a great one if you are visiting people who used to live in the area and have moved away - “a taste of home”. Bath bombs - my dad actually loves these! I’ve done a white company mini diffuser before which plugs in and was a big hit and not too expensive - this is handy because I can now buy the oils as presents for them in the future years!!

experiences - all the usual bits and bobs - concert tickets, afternoon teas etc. Gin distillery or brewery visit, make your own coffee blends classes etc. The national trust run some lovely events so you could maybe do a voucher for one of those.

I'm following for ideas. I think both sets of parents have enough photos of my kids now & related craft (eldest is almost 16). My parents don't want 'pruck' for the sake of it. They don't drink, only go to 1 local coffee shop, never out to restaurants etc due to medical issues. They wouldn't use any kind of voucher, spa treatment, subscription etc. All the usual ideas are pointless. They are also trying to be very careful with money due to being on basic pension & needing to pay a lot of bills. I've done hampers etc in the past but usually make them myself due to certain things they can or can not have. I know no matter what I get them they are always polite about it & seem grateful but I'd still love to surprise them with something.
My mil hates everything I buy including some very expensive things that she usually loves -she just hates me. Fil is happy with wine & a rugby shirt. They now end up getting M&S tins with a candle or something cause no matter what it is she'll make a comment about it.

Previous gifts to both parents:
Candles
Yankee holders
Room diffuser
Ornaments matching current collections
Clothing (incl hats, scarves etc too)
Slippers\oodies if requested
Blankets\throws or cushions -sometimes personalised
Hampers -local food, unique items from a country they visited & enjoyed, themed
Photo -canvas, album, framed
Tree decorations -themed on their pets, hobbies, the kids etc
Voucher to some where they go or shop
Tickets to somewhere with or without us e.g panto with us or out on their own somewhere
Books they've requested
Magazine subscription they read
A plant they wanted

I hate the thoughts of my parents sitting on Christmas day with nothing so I always buy something. They don't like to leave to sit in anyone's house or for others to visit them. They have a routine & for reasons it needs to be kept so I acknowledge that. In their 70s I feel like it should still feel like they are special & loved by us because they are. Hopefully some of the above ideas will help others & maybe something will pop up in this thread to help me.

A Turkish lamp because dm likes mine, no idea for DF!

It's very hard, especially as my dad has dementia, and I am on an extremely tight budget this year (house move). In fact mom told me only to get stuff for my daughter.

But I will probably get some stuff from the following lists (maybe not all of it). They will be joint gifts from me AND dd:
Dad:
A jumper if I can find a decent one second hand (got him one last year and he surprisingly really liked it).
Couple of scratch cards - he does still enjoy them.
Some kind of photo gift like a mug with me and dd on.

And mom:
Some second hand nice clothes - dress and a top maybe
Costume jewellery vintage brooch from a charity shop
Couple of charity shop books
One of those big multi picture photo frames - again will try to find one second hand - with pictures of me, dd, brother and his partner, her and dad.

Am going to try to spend a tenner on each of them and no more - as they are lending me a chunk of money it seems daft to spend loads on stuff they don't massively want ....

Candles aren’t the best idea for many older people.
Maybe the electronic ones?

Following haven't bought yet but these are ideas, all late 50's

Mum so far - M&S slippers, nomination charm, canvas with her and her dog & those soap boxes that play music (she loves them)

Stepdad - bottle of Jack, chocolates

Dad - socks, boxers, lynx sets (he's obsessed with all this but never gets himself them) chocolate/sweet hamper, some sort of photo in a frame, a mug probably

Don’t really get my dad anything… but got my mum a new Fitbit versa as hers is on its way out and she keeps complaining, tried to get her to switch to Apple Watch but she ain’t having it… also got her a personalised calendar which I get her every year.

A box of Leonidas chocolates. I bought them a small box last year as an extra wee gift and they loved them and have asked for a big box this year. I will also get them some comfy cozy bits and pieces. I might also get my mum some black bun if I can find a wee one.

Something from goodgifts.org or chooselove.org, same as every year. My side only do charity presents for adults thank goodness. PIL some years suggest doing presents some years don't but I don't get involved.

My dad lost a some of his sense of smell and taste after covid, I get him coffee from cannon coffee roasters, its really nice but also strong enough that he can taste it and it's now his favourite.
Also some new walking boots as his are leaking but he won't replace them and a voucher for a place where you float in the dark in a pod full of salt water? There is a specific place near his house that does it and he rejects most self care related things as he finds them pointless or uncomfortable but loves floating.
Generally stuff that he needs or enjoys but wouldn't buy for himself

Don’t buy for mine one dead the other I’m NC with, however if I was buying for them they would be easy. NC mother anything No7, Ted Baker cosmetics, anything with a designer label to boost her ego, none of it she would be grateful for though. I once bought her GHDs as my SIL had the audacity to take her own back from NC mother, I never got a thank you.

DF I use to love buying for, he liked his nice knitted jumpers, any kind of alcohol especially Irish whiskey, he loved a good novelty gift especially from the DGCs. I could buy him all sorts of clothes.

FIL - we usually get a nice M&S jumper, or something gadgety like a portable power bank. Beanies or warm jackets for his dog walks. We’ve actually got him an old book from a charity shop that is very specific to his hobby. Normally we’d not buy for his hobby as he’s very particular and anything he’d like costs way to many £££ but we were very lucky on this purchase, it cost £40 in a charity shop were all other books were 50p-£3 to give an idea on the hobby cost.

MIL - anything garden related, anything for her kitchen, vases, gin. I’ve got her some nice gloves in her favourite colour, a canvas tote bag for shopping with her favourite colour flowers on. I did have a notebook and pen but ended up giving that to a teacher as a leaving gift. I need to get something else, I’m considering hand creams or something plant or flower based. If I can’t find anything a know a nice snow globe bottle of gin liquor will be appreciated.

This!!
It's a hard no to:
alcohol
photos
ornaments
candles
make up
perfume
jewellry
books are hard because I don't live close to check what they've already got and half the time I buy things they've already read
food or hampers would be met with groans about over-indulgence unless I fill one with brocolli and chick peas.

I bought my mother (in her 90s) an Aura WiFi connected photo frame last Christmas. All her grandchildren upload photos and videos of her great grandchildren onto it. She can't get out as much as she used to and she absolutely loves it. One of the best presents I have ever bought her.
My daughter is going to get one for her PIL this year as she is about to present them with their first grandchild.