Christmas gifts - what would you like from your adult children?

[wowolucy]

hello! I hope that this is ok here,

im not a parent of an adult child (my children are both under 3) - but I was wondering, what can I get my parents and in laws for Christmas?
money is tight, I’ve asked them what they want but everything they want they just go out and buy!

so I’m really just looking for ideas, what gifts have made you happy in previous years?
im thinking of making up a hamper for my mum, but just wanted ideas

thank you!

How about a digital photo frame with some family photos pre-loaded?

I am late fifties and my kids are 28 and 30.

More than anything, I truly, honestly want my kids to use their money for themselves and their own futures.

My husband and I have everything we want and buy whatever we need, whenever we need it, throughout the year.

I DEFINITELY don't want 'stuff' coming into the house.

So I ask my kids for a 'nice' bottle of bubble bath (eg Molton Brown, Neom etc) and a 'nice' hand cream (eg Clarins, L'Occitane) etc.

For their Dad they buy a bottle of interesting gin/ whisky.

Posh consumables, basically.

Yes, I'd agree with this. Bath gel and chocs.
Also, my DD studied fashion and she's found me some interesting clothes in charity shops, things I'd never have chosen for myself. So a lot of thought has gone into this but not necessarily a lot of money.

Yes, this. I have everything I need. If they get something "on spec" there is a high probability they could get it wrong.

"Nice" consumables (assuming they know my preferences) are great!

Time with my adult children is the nicest present

A spa day together
Afternoon tea
Etc

The adult dcs usually get us an Air BnB voucher or Ryanair voucher,or theatre tickets.
I've dropped a lot of hints about seeing Johannes Radebe in Kinky Boots next year...

Amazon voucher so I can put books on my kindle. Daughter took me to Wimbledon for my birthday. DS bought me a spa day voucher.

Thank you all some fab ideas here!

Time with DD - a short holiday together or a gig or show ( she's not well off so I don't mind paying as long as she gives the time!)

We don't live close but Love doing things together & love that she wants to

I agree about giving time. The best present my, then 19 year old, son gave me was a card with 5 hand written vouchers for afternoon tea, me to pay. No expiry date. I found the card the other day. Three vouchers left!

I like vouchers for department stores or Boots etc so I can buy myself nice cosmetics and toiletries. DD23 bought me a Ticketmaster voucher last year which was much appreciated as I go to a lot of concerts.

my adult dc are 34 and 29. They usually ask me for a few suggestions, I don't expect all of them! This year I’m suggesting
M&S pannatone
M&S Cherry shower Gel (smells gorgeous!)
M&S Cherry body butter
A Christmas scented candle

That is sooooo cute, I hope my kids do stuff like that when they grow up 😍 nicest pressie ever

Anything but stuff! But it depends on your parents and in laws. If they are perhaps are not very well off, or you know for sure they desperately crave a new food mixer or mirror for the hallway (random examples!) then go with that. Otherwise older people, like me, would generally prefer experiences or just a nice meal out. If you do go down the "experience" route though, don't choose something daft like hot air ballooning if they're terrified of heights or have mobility issues.

"Posh consumables" is a great way of putting it.

Our dc (we have 3 adult children) usually club together and get us something, a restaurant voucher or something. Last year they got us a wine tasting evening! Very, very much appreciated. They all have proper jobs and no kids though.

I'd be happy with a nice bottle of wine or something like. Last year dd2's boyfriend gave us a bottle of wine each and posh crisps to match in a fancy gift bag and it was a great present!!

Do your parents like cheese? You can get a great cheeseboard through the post from cheesemongers (we've used mellischeese.net/product-category/cheese-selections/ but they're pretty local to us, I'm sure other large cities have a similar local cheese merchant!)

I once got my mum and exMIL a photo wall calendar of the kids (their DGC)

I didn't do it the year after and got moaned at. So now it's a yearly tradition.

It's a rule that our adult children don't buy us expensive gifts. Last year, I asked for a silk scarf and provided links to reasonably priced options (under £20). This year, I'd like a new cover for my phone, it will be well under £20.

I too want the gift of time - either they do a chore for me that I've been putting off or they spend time with me. Both are lovely. I have no interest in stuff - my heart sinks when they buy me things I don't want or need - they already know this but the gift-giving habit runs deep but it brings me no joy - I don't expect them to waste hours coming up with something I didn't know I wanted - buy me a nice bottle of wine if you will insist on stuff or a good bottle of olive oil. Better still make me dinner or share that bottle of wine with me.

Came here to say what PP have said above

Your time
Consumables

I also welcome them going through some of the odd collections of stuff that have ended up being left here, chucking out the junk and reducing them to storable boxes of real treasure.

Do they actually expect gifts? My DDs are early 20s and I know they rarely have left over money. I would rather they didn't bother with gifts, just a nice card and spending some time with me, but sometimes they insist, as at Christmas they don't want me to be the only one without a present, so I try to think of something really inexpensive.

If funds allow then something like a voucher for their local garden centre, or a theatre voucher would be nice. Then they can choose for themselves what they actually buy/see.

Are you me?!

This is what I was going to suggest, same reason

An afternoon out...park, woods or whatever as family.

I have DDs in their late 20s. I usually tell them what I’d like - eg, a new umbrella, nice soap. I would actually expect them to get something- consumables etc. I would hate a digital photo frame- that’s clutter and I’d never use it.

My dad always get posh consumables too! My mum generally asks for stuff. Dad gets fancy shower gel, saving foam and food bits. He's always really happy with that and to be honest, I would be too!

I'd be very happy with one of those amaryllis in a pot, a white one from M&S, or a tin of their lovely shortbread. No smellies, I've got a drawer full of those.