ALT-6 Christmas Presents your Teen Girl will always Remember
Looking back on my own Christmas's as a teen it's hard to remember what I got. I'm sure I received all the newest gadgets, stereo and a TV and in style clothes but now at the age of 37 looking back. Only one gift stands out in my mind that was a book, a book I loved so much I read it several times and even bought an out of print copy for my daughter last Christmas along with the movie and soundtrack (which was not available when I was a teen). That book was "Sooner or Later" by Bruce and Carol Hart. How ironic, a $2.99 book was my favorite Christmas gift?
I had to ask my daughter who is now 16 what her favorite Christmas gift has been. I was shocked by her reply. Her favorite gift was a Winnie the Pooh stuffed animal a small one, she got for her fifth Christmas she still has it, it sits on her bed during the day and on her stand at night. This precious gift wasn't even wrapped nor was it meant for her. It was a gift for her baby brother who passed away six weeks before Christmas at the age of 11weeks old. A gift that cost all of five dollars but holds all of her memories of someone who was very special to her.
Some parents believe that their teens are not mature enough to receive gifts that merely hold sentimental value. I don't believe we give our teens enough credit. Even though they are growing up in a very material world they are still individuals and we should not judge them by what we believe is important to them because in all honesty we don't know and won't know for years to come.
So not knowing for sure what Christmas gifts our teens will remember, I can only offer suggestions as I apparently am as clueless as everyone else.
MEMERABLE GIFTS FOR TEEN
My first suggestion is a pet. It's kind of hard for a teen to forget about an animal that meet them at the door after school or sleep with them for years. Pets are great for teens they teach responsibility, how to love beyond what they are taught by their parents. A pet never judges them, disappoints them or breaks their heart.
A special family vacation (my daughter's second most memorable gift) she got to choose where we went and what we did. Not to leave you wondering, we went to Hollywood, California she wanted (now is) an actress. It was the perfect gift. Of course four years later we now live in Hollywood so she can live her dream. I guess she doesn't remember her vacation to Disney World the year she just had to have to meet Mickey Mouse when she was ten or the trip to Washington D.C. because she would just die if she couldn't visit the White House when she was 12. A family vacation is a great idea and if they forget you have the pictures to prove it!
Although my most memorable Christmas gift is a bit odd, it was something that I took great joy in sharing with my own daughter. She enjoyed it as much as I did and has put it in her cedar chest to some day share with her daughter.
When our teens are adults and parents themselves the amount of money we spent on their Christmas gifts or whether or not they got everything on their lists will not matter. I think if you asked your teen what their all time favorite Christmas gift as been so far you may be just as surprised by their answer as I was by my daughters and chances are in 15 years that same gift will still be the one they remember!
