Help with a small present for 13 year old girl

lika_86

theoretica wrote: »

I think it is nicer to have a thing to unwrap than a small voucher. I remember many people at that age liking candles and small boxes/pots.

Really? At that age I enjoyed the freedom to pick what I wanted more.

daisiegg

Lunar_Eclipse wrote: »

I think they are probably influenced by the 'all girls' aspect. My tomboy certainly wouldn't wear nail polish, but opted against an all girls school too.

I'm also intrigued as to how you know this; do you have lots of 13 year olds wearing nail polish to school? Or maybe you see them regularly outside school. DD1's all girls school is very strict with things like nail polish (even clear, due to lab work in Science), and lots of her (Y9) peers are still quite immature in regards to these teenage interests in my experience.

No, we are strict about it on normal days (though I am forever sending them down to reception to remove it) but I know it from non uniform days and charity days. On non uniform days the nails are ALWAYS painted. I could well imagine it is to do with the novelty, and if they were allowed it all the time, a lot of them would not bother. Also, we often have days where they pay money to wear accessories/nail polish that are not usually allowed, to raise money for charity. Often it is colour themed (e,go pink for breast cancer, or the favourite colour of a pupil who had passed away, to raise money for her family's nominated charity). They all seem to paint their nails on those days.

I think a lot of the appeal of nail polish for girls that age is less about being 'girly' and more about being creative and individual. I mean, they are developing an identity and wanting to express themselves, but are too young (perhaps) to experiment with things like hair colours/styles, and to an extent a lot of thirteen year olds might not even have full autonomy over the clothes they wear. Like I said, even the non girly ones seem to still like doing black or dark green nails, and in my opinion a lot of it is about experimentation and self expression through whatever medium they have access to, rather than necessarily a desire to be 'girly'.

ETA - I am not, of course, claiming to have examined the nails of 1500 girls on every non uniform day. Of course, there must be lots who do not paint nails. I am just saying, the majority seem to.

theoretica

lika_86 wrote: »

Really? At that age I enjoyed the freedom to pick what I wanted more.

I was brought up in a very non-voucher/money present way and decided very early on they were a mark of the giver (i.e. my great aunt) having not thought about me at all.

Even at that age if I knew I wanted something for the equivalent of £10 it didn't take very long to save up and buy it and I didn't like having to put my own money in on top of the token to buy something I wouldn't have bought otherwise. I guess I am just a very non-token person.

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

Nail varnish requires remover and cotton wool, as well as nails to put it on. Plus, she could have a parent who hates the stuff - DD2's dad honestly believes that only prostitutes wear anything other than clear or the palest baby pink varnish. Some feel the same about having long nails, too.

(Looks at my dark green with gold glitter nails)

Oh well. Just one more thing for him to hate about me [shrug].


A voucher would be far more useful. If she gets enough of them, she'll be able to get herself something she really wants but wouldn't be able to get any other way. Money would be even better.



And socks? Please. That's what people buy when they can't be bothered to think about who they're buying for, you could have a gothy girl who likes long striped socks presented with something with Winnie the Pooh on them, or somebody who always wear tights hating all of them.

Gloves would be slightly better, but you then risk falling foul of the fingerless/fluffy/mittens trap. I only wear fingerless gloves, usually striped; a pair of fluffy pink gloves would be passed on to somebody (anybody!) else quickly.


Stick to the voucher/cash idea.

Mojisola

theoretica wrote: »

I was brought up in a very non-voucher/money present way and decided very early on they were a mark of the giver (i.e. my great aunt) having not thought about me at all.

Even at that age if I knew I wanted something for the equivalent of £10 it didn't take very long to save up and buy it and I didn't like having to put my own money in on top of the token to buy something I wouldn't have bought otherwise. I guess I am just a very non-token person.

So you would rather your great aunt bought you something unsuitable (because she didn't really know what you would like) rather than give you money or tokens?

bigmomma051204

Boots or Argos voucher. End of!

At 13yrs, I would not have wanted anything more than the freedom to choose something myself LOL!

lostinrates

Mojisola wrote: »

So you would rather your great aunt bought you something unsuitable (because she didn't really know what you would like) rather than give you money or tokens?

I agree with mojisola here.
The friends who know me best buy me nothing, or something when they are with me that I happen to see and say, 'oh, that's sweet'. The ones who know me best but cannot bear giving nothing send vouchers.

I'd have adored an aunt who gave cash or vouchers, I'd have thought she knew me bet of all my relatives, and that choice is part of the pleasure of ones processions.

theoretica

Mojisola wrote: »

So you would rather your great aunt bought you something unsuitable (because she didn't really know what you would like) rather than give you money or tokens?

Actually, yes. I remember the year she arranged (pretty ordinary) chocolates and indeed some hilariously unsuitable presents from other people. You prefer vouchers, I don't - which just makes it even harder for the OP to find a present that every 13 year old would like!

keep_flyin

I have a 14 year old, who would hate being given makeup as she has her own style. She loves being given amazon vouchers as she is into manga and the only place the books she loves are readily available is amazon.

meer53

Cash. All 13 year old girls like cash !