So, you have a kid. Let’s say he’s a boy, as girls come with an entirely different set of problems. A lot of people have boys. And you, like a lot of people, have no idea what gift to give him on his 17th birthday. It was easy when he was little, there was a clear progression of toy purchases starting with stuffed animals for the wee tyke, then building blocks, then action figures, moving on to the more sophisticated Legos, and finally a PlayStation or something like it when he hit twelve. The problem is, he’s growing up, as kids do, and it’s getting harder to shop for him! He’s too old for toys, and don’t try to get him any clothes, that way lies madness, so what to do? Well, we have some ideas…
Money – Yes, the gift that we all love to get, money! Sure, you could slip a $100 bill into his birthday card like Uncle George does, but it seems a bit cold and distant coming from a parent. By the way, if a hundred sounds steep you really are behind the times, hello! Inflation? Fortunately, there is a way to give the gift of money that doesn’t feel funny, and that is to shop for Gift Vouchers Online, just figure out what stores he likes to go to and pick one of those! Junior can then go pick out his own darn clothes, or video games, or whatever 17-year-olds buy these days (we have some ideas about that, too…), and you can rest assured he won’t be purchasing anything you don’t want him to have with it!
Mobile Device – He most certainly already has one, these days they’re issued as you leave the maternity ward, every kid in the world packs one! But, to be clear, this isn’t just any old mobile device, this is The Mobile Device Of The Year, the one that everyone has been waiting for lined around the block, the one that has guys in black turtlenecks talking about it to crowds of cheering customers waving their credit cards in the air! Get your lad the best one there is, and I guarantee you that it will make a great impression, he might even pay you a huge compliment like “That’s kind of cool”, or “This will do.” Oh, and be prepared to spend more than a hundred dollars on it, but how often does he turn 17? Make it special. Maybe go in on it with Uncle George, he’s always well-padded!
A New Car – Well, he’s old enough, and it’s going to happen eventually. The tradition was that your folks gave you their old bunky and you got around in it until you could level up to something decent, but times have changed and it’s a bit more risky out there. You wouldn’t want him breaking down on a lonely road in the middle of the night (did you know 95% of all breakdowns happen on lonely roads at night?). I mean you love him, right? Well, you did when he was little, but keep him safe and cough up for something decent!
Happy Birthday, Young Man!