Re: Holiday shopping for kids - help needed


MsLiz wrote:
> Mike S. wrote:
> > My aunt has asked me to help her buy Christmas presents for her
> > grandkids. We have no idea what to get them as she hasn't and probably
> > won't ask for a list. I haven't seen the kids in years and my aunt only
> > sees them once (maybe twice) a year so we have no idea what their
> > current interests are.
> >
> > The boy is 9 and the girl is almost 11. Last year my aunt had a list
> > from them and gave the boy some sort of special legos (the kind that
> > have a theme, like Star Wars, for example) and gave the girl jewelry
> > and a jewelry box appropriate for children.
> >
> > Does anyone have suggestions on what kids that age might enjoy? My aunt
> > can only spend about $25 for each child. For the boy, I thought that
> > maybe some sort of craft/casting kit where he could build cars,
> > animals, etc. would be a good choice. But I have no idea what to get
> > the girl, I think they're harder to get for at that age. I was kind of
> > thinking about an Easy Bake oven type thing but she may be too old for
> > that. What do girls like? I have no idea.
>
> Oh my god...do NOT get her an easy bake oven!!! My 11 year old would
> die laughing. They are old enough to learn how to use a real oven.
> Now, the 11 year old is probably in one of two categories of girl...or
> somewhere in the middle. She is either the really sqeeky clean
> American Girl type (do a good search, there's a whole line of American
> Girl stuff) whose aim (besides to capitalize on these kids and their
> parents) is to keep girls, girls, not little women. A girl such as this
> also loves shopping at a store called Limited II. Then there's the
> more precocious girls (like mine) who wants to grow up fast. She is
> into fashion and nothing would make her happier than a gift certificate
> to one of her favorite stores (Aeorpostale, for one) That way, she can
> spend the money as she sees fit. Same applies to DVD's or music CD's.
> A gift certificate to blockbuster or any music store would be awesome
> also. Some girls are into scrapbooking...so supplies for that are a
> nice gift.
> My daughter also loves those squishy pillows (that are filled with
> microbeads) and she likes those warm, really, really, soft socks to
> wear around the house. I don't know a child that doesn't love
> candy..and the malls have that candy store where you pick out your
> candy and buy it by the pound (I am least supportive of this one, but
> it's still an idea)
>
> Where are these kid's parents? Can you not call them and get an idea
> of their interestests? Just one peice of major advice...IX NAY the
> Oven! :-)


It's weird (to me) how kids nowadays are growing up so much faster then
when I was a kid which was only some 13 years ago. Why do kids want to
grow up so quickly, I just don't get it. And the way these pre-teen
girls are dressing like some slutty two dollar hooker is just
sickening. Stay a kid as long as you can, enjoy it before you have to
spend the rest of your life working your *** off and not having any
fun.

As far as what to get the girl, I saw some interesting suggestions but
I'll have to think about it. I don't know why my aunt just doesn't ask
the parents for suggestions, it sure would make things easier.

This whole thing reminds me of a story my step-sister was telling me.
Her grandparents never asked for a Christmas list and are
old-fashioned. So when my step-sister was between maybe 14-18 or so,
they gave her "girly" stuff for Christmas. It was things like earrings,
a fancy watch, a glass vanity mirror, glass music box, etc. My
step-sister is such a tom-boy and when she recieved these gifts she
said she felt like crying because to her it was like if someone had
given those gifts to a teenage boy. She was being stereotyped by her
own grandparents. She accepted the gifts as graciously as possible but
it goes to show that you shouldn't always buy things based on someone's
gender.

.

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