What's your 16yo having this year?

[lucysmam]

Mine's proving quite difficult this year!

She's asked for a shopping trip & the latest Philip Pullman novel - that's it! Oh, and a couple of imported cd's from a niche band she follows. Shopping trips generally don't end up with her choosing much, and how tf do I wrap that up <sigh>.

I was about to buy theatre tickets but her dad said ask where she wants to sit, so they won't be very surprising.

What's your almost 16yo having? (Doesn't help that she is 16 on the 28th 🙈).

Could you get different vouchers for the shops she likes?? That way she has that to 'open'. Or get some cards with pictures of the things she might buy and put a bit of cash in each eg: £50 in a card with a pic of clothing, £50 in a card with a pic of books??
Teens are so hard to buy for!!

What about some merch from the band she follows?

What are the bands she follows??

My dd is just gone 17 and looking for new AirPods and a 4th Arq fleece.
I also got her a concert ticket, a gorgeous dressing gown, some Charlotte Tibury lip set thing, and some more beauty bits I know she’ll love.
What about a Stanley cup? Pandora bracelet?

Could you turn the shopping trip into a gift to open. For example book breakfast/lunch in a nice restaurant (print out a copy of the menu) gift card vouchers for her favourite shops and a coffee shop voucher for when you need a break half way through. You could even see if there is a cinema close by and end the day watching a film (print out a poster of the movie) you could put all these into a hamper for her and pad it out with some snacks for you to take in your bags, travel cups/water bottle etc. she will know that a lot of thought has gone into making this a gift for her

My local shopping centres do a voucher that can be spent in any store within (I think the only exception is the supermarket and the phone shops).

DS likes this as he can pick and choose what he spends where and not be tied to one specific place - if she wants a shopping trip, a gift card like that might suit?

@lucysmam you can also get scratch cards made up on Etsy that she will need to scratch off the city your are going, shops you plan to visit, restaurants etc that you have booked.

I do this for theatre tickets as you only get the ticket as a QR code which is hard to make look 'Christmassy'. My daughter then has to scratch the ticket to see what show we are seeing and the dates

@lucysmam pic of the type of scratch card I meant

@Iwilldoitnowinaminutemam thanks a million for that great idea. My son's getting concert tickets and that's just so much better than a print out. 😍

Dd has asked for some adidas sambas and a new coat. I've also got her some la bomba perfume, flared joggers and matching cropped jacket, pandora charm, earrings, some fancy art pencils she is coverting, a book, jellycat rabbit in a dressing gown, dressing gown, slippers and some stocking filler bits. Luckily she had some ideas this year or I would really have been stumped.

@Suasthuasanuas you're welcome. I love them and they always go down well 😀

I've got mine concert tickets that she knows about which will involve an overnight stay so had limited budget for much else. I've also got her a Hollister hoodie, a book series she wanted, a jelly cat and then stocking filler type things. She is also not far off 16 so will probably give her some money for a shopping trip for that and maybe the leather look jacket she's been lusting over for a while now.

Leeds Festival ticket, hotel chocolat velvetiser, cushions, ballet tickets, Charlotte Tilbury bits.

Mine is a bloody nightmare and also turns 16 this month (just before Christmas) which makes every year difficult as she never wants ‘stuff’.
She will be getting new DMs, 3 sets of theatre tickets (she’s a massive theatre kid), a new Oodie, pyjamas, a couple of hoodies tailored to her interests and some books. Not sure what will be for birthday and what will be for Christmas at the moment.

Airpods, lego, Heeleys and hot wheels track!!
It's her choice!!

@Dolallytats The Crane Wives - they're Canadian, I think, and don't seem too well known over here.

Thanks so much for the ideas to "wrap" a shopping trip. She's likely to want to go to Meadowhall so I'll look for a voucher for there.

I'm going have a look at getting a Kindle and Adele's merch store too (although the last t-shirt from there was so poorly folded, I'm sure it was a return!).

Thank you for this! I got dd17 a Calvin Harris ticket for Dublin and this will be a great way of giving it to her. I usually just print something off. Thank you! 🤩

My daughter turned 16 in October. She's having a stack of books, Lego, HP Squishmallow, poster for her room, jewellery from a show she likes, I'm looking at the Tymo curler too and had also thought about theatre tickets.

There's a couple of concert posters for The Crane Wives on Etsy and you can get t-shirts on TeePublic, red bubble and Joom (I've only used teepublic and they were good, although postage can be a bit pricey)
They have a site themselves that ships internationally and ebay is always a friend!!

Im going to have a listen to them later🙂

Mine is a year younger but also bday and christmas close together. She is getting concert tickets for both (not a surprise) and a hoodie for one of the artists that she asked for. Some nice smellies. A jellycat toy (which makes me laugh as she was being bought these when she was born and is now asking for them). I think she would like a subscription to Vogue too. She's also getting a book nook and some posh craft supplies. Oh and a smoothie maker from my parents

DS2 is having a pair of Docs and an eye wateringly expensive Soul Revolver coat which he has paid half for. Plus hair straighteners

@Dolallytats thanks for those - I've used their own website a couple of times so she has all their music that's available on cd. I'll check out redbubble and Tee Public later on.

I'm just heading into town for a few gifts for other people now. Fingers crossed I remember the earrings she liked in River Island 🤞

My daughter is 16th on the 30th and it’s hard to know what to get them isn’t it. Mine has asked for books, converse and a digital camera and a few other bits and bobs and has told me she wants no tat or clutter (I usually do get her some pointless things to bulk her pile up so im offended haha) so I’m not doing that this year and everything will be well thought out by her.
When she was 7 she asked for a real gold bar which she didn’t get btw lol but I do miss those days when she used to ask for kinds of mad stuff

DD is almost 17 & these are things she’s getting over both birthday & Christmas.

New phone, case & wireless charger (main Christmas present). She’s had her current phone since starting secondary school & is now doing A-levels 😁

Duvet cover set - burgundy velour.
Wax burner (electric not candle) & cherry melts
Candles (again battery not real - much safer!)
Trinket shelf
3 x band T-shirts
5 x dvds
Red velvet coat hangers x 60
Coraline doll
Fabric paints & brushes
Fabric scissors
Rocky Horror Funko
Mascara, eyeliner, lip balm
Leg warmers
Sylvanian family figure!
Pin badges relating to films & bands she likes
Crystal window decoration

Also possibly getting her a sewing machine as a main birthday present but if not then some money.

She’s very into making her room just as she likes it & most of the things listed above are specifically requested/hoped for.

My dd is getting some new trainers, a new oodie, an adult Lego kit and a wooden build your own cuckoo clock.
I’ll also get her some make up and clothes.

I would just choose the best seats you can afford for the show op and surprise her with the tickets 🤷‍♀️