Ask any parent, and they will most likely tell you, buying a Christmas gift for their teenage son or daughter is not an easy task. Parents today wouldn’t dare go out and try to find a gift on their own. And the last thing parents want to see on Christmas Day is that half-surprised, half-disappointed look on their kids’ faces.
So what is a parent to do?
“My boys usually provide me with ideas,” said Shelly Stahlbusch, mother of 14-, 13- and 9-year-old boys.
There can be a downside, though.
“Unfortunately, they tend to be expensive ideas,” Stahlbusch said. “This year, they are wanting laptops, new gaming systems and new cell phones. They don’t go with the cheap stuff.”
Stahlbusch suggests getting a little creative when it comes to expensive Christmas gifts.
“So usually, if they are wanting something that is big ticket, that I think they will all benefit from, then we will do a large gift like that for all three of them to kind of share,” she said.
But what about individually?
“I try to find things that they each enjoy,” Stahlbusch said.
“But I am kind of a practical shopper. I don’t like to do a lot of junk and toys, I like to do cool clothes that I think they would like or maybe some CDs that I know they would like.”
The most important thing, Stahlbusch said, is to remember that the holiday isn’t all about the gifts.
“Teenagers are not going to remember what you got them next year,” she said. “So don’t kill yourself over it. Don’t stress yourself out over it. It is more important to enjoy the holiday with your family than it is to get all worked up over what you are getting everybody.”
