My trio will be 18 on the 27th Jan......help needed re useful gifts!

[triplets]

Hi , I have 2 ds and a dd, dd is sorted as she wanted a new ipod touch! Its the boys, on is away at an Army college, earning good money so doesn't need that as a gift, doesn't need new clothes, has all the techy stuff he is allowed to have up there and has a hobby which is airsoft. The other ds will soon be buying his first car, so what could I get him to go with that? Doesn't need a sat nav as he uses the app on his I phone! These kids seem tohave it all these days! Any ideas most welcome. TIA

A dash camera for the car?
Teenage boys have a bad reputation for driving and DS always felt he would automatically be held to blame if there was an accident simply because of his age. I bought one for DS1 for about £70 and it has captured some footage of appalling driving and near misses by other drivers.

Don't know where you live or how interested your DS may be but my friend's DS just turned 18 and is going to this venue with friends as a birthday treat next week.

www.ticktockunlock.co.uk/

Aww they would love ticktockunlock.........sounds really good, unfortunately we live the other end of the country nr Dover! The dash camera sounds a good idea! Felt nervous tonight, my dds bestfriend passed her driving test this afternoon, first time and she is only 17, not 18 until end of July! Turned up here at 8.30pm to take my dd for a short ride, then 10 mins they were gone seemed like hours!! So strange when you have watched them all grow up isnt it?

I don't know about DC but I want to play that tick tock!
Maybe I'm over protective, DS2(17) passed his test recently but no way do I let him take passengers, or lifts with new driver friends.

I know secretus, I didn't want to let her go but she was soo excited for her friend, and her friend has had a lot of experience driving with her dad besides her instructor. They are a family with a lot of land so she has been driving off road to my knowledge for about a year, with her dad of course. Her dad also owns his own garage! They promised to be only 10 mins and they were. I am very protective of them but I do have to let them go sometimes.............I lost my first child when he was almost 15, he collapsed in my garden and died instantly, no medical explanation..........so I do panic at the slightest thing. Its hard to try to explain my fears/worries to them, they never knew their brother.........its hard at times. x

An experience or a special personalised gift like a classy engraved watch.

I'd be tempted to do experience too.

Racing car driving? Flying lesson? Clay pigeon shooting? Sailing etc etc. doesn't sound like they need anything physical.

Although watch is also good

Might be a good idea to get James a watch, though it seems to me teens just use their mobile!! Hmm will really have to ask him as he would need to choose it. My other ds has a good one, waterproof, shockproof etc and he loves it, never takes it off!

triplets it sounds like the friend isn't such an inexperienced driver as most teens. I despair at some of DS2's friends' parents. We are very rural and the minute they pass their test they are allowed to take car loads of friends out. One boy ended up bringing 4 drunken friends home in the early hours 2 days after passing his test.
Sorry to go off topic.
When DS1 was 18 I bought him a smart blu-ray box and a netflix subscription. DS2 will be 18 next and although he has a good gaming computer he wants a laptop for when he goes to uni. Both boys have been given watches before and they never wear them. The only time they have used them is in exams when phones are not allowed.

We bought DS a trial flying lesson for his 18 (in addition to other things). He loved the flight in a 2 seater and the pilot let DS take the controls for most of the trip. He would love to have flying lessons and get his PPL but he will have to go through Uni and get a decent job first.
We have also just bought him a skid pan experience for Christmas. I know dn's have done it and found it invaluable as well as enjoyable. We live in a rural area and there is a lot of mud on the roads as well as the usual hazards of ice/snow so you never know when they might need the extra driving experience.

I agree teenagers seem to have s much these days that they are difficult to buy for - so I think an experience of some sort is always a good thing for them to remember.