What did you buy your son for 18th or 21st Birthday?

maman

Gloomendoom wrote: »

It's when you are traditionally given your own key to the house. i.e. You are a proper grown up.

And the age you traditionally could vote until about 1970 I think.

tahrey

A long weekend break for yourself and your SO, allowing him and his friends the run of the place and plenty of time to clear up, organise repairs, and get everyone back out of hospital before you return.

(I can't offer much helpful from my own history, both as it's somewhat of a different age now, and my birthday is in a rather odd place on the calendar (and ages fell in years that kind of stole my thunder) so everything's messed up anyway. I got a nice watch and an odd but kinda cool keepsake pewter and glass crystal figurine thing at 18... at 21, another of the latter complementing the original, a bottle of champagne or something, and a considerable lump sum cash gift that was very gratefully appreciated given that I was a final year uni student at the time and nudging the limits of my overdrafts and credit card already... my friends' 18th and 21st were much more enjoyable and memorable, and they essentially ran along the theme of "chaotic all-nighter / weekender houseparty with no older adults around to get annoyed/offended/upset or attempting to be down wit' da kidz")

I think it might have been a traditional thing to get them a cheap runabout at one or other age, but at 18 the only things I needed a car for that couldn't be covered by public transport or bicycle were at times where I was OK to borrow mum's... and at 21 I'd ruined everyone's plans by having saved up all my wages during the summer and bought a sellotaped-together jalopy just in time for going back to uni (my annual insurance renewal date still bears witness to when I finally handed over the readies) so they had to do something else

One odd problem is that tablets and smartphones have wrecked the options in a lot of older fields because they cram so many traditional gift devices into a single slim, cheap, rather anonymous and everyday box. The year I got the car is also the one I got my first digital camera a few months later, purely for dissertation needs. Before that, a nice film camera might have been an option. Maybe a decent laptop or desktop computer afterwards. A stereo, if they're a big music fan and have only a ratty old microsystem (...it's all soundbars and bluetooth pods now). Sets of books (internet!).

So many "things" that used to be important materialistic possessions and gifts are either unimportant and old hat, or have gone digital and ethereal now, that the more standout gift that you can give someone is that of some amazing experience they might not otherwise get the chance of encountering. Maybe see what you can find in that area?

Roxana_Bolsover

Cbt bike lessons? Allows cheap way to get to work and feel alive riding on the ends instead.

thebestnameshavegone

I'd go for an 'experience' (our godsons got to drive laps around Thruxton in a Ferrari for their 18th), tickets for something (first festival?), or a trip/holiday. Something that will leave a great memory, but which they don't have to store, dust, or wear for years after they have gone off it but don't want to hurt your feelings!

onlyroz

I think you should contribute towards the computer he wants.

orangepip

Sometimes it's not about money, for both my son and my daughter's 18th birthdays I created a memory box and asked family, friends and godparents to write a small letter to my child with a memory of them and put this in the box with a selection of photos and small mementos, I listed some of their favourite TV programmes, favourite foods, actors, hobbies etc and put a few items in the box such as my son's Christening shoes and my daughter was a huge fan of Batman at the time so I put a small Batman figure in the box. Once they had opened this on the day and spent some time reading through everything, we wrapped it up in the 18th birthday banners and agreed to open it on their 30th Birthday to see how they had changed. The box was a large shoe box so you have to restricted yourself and be creative :-) xx

SaverSpender

I got jewellery, which 15 years later I had to sell as I was off sick and skint, but I wish I hadn't had to! Even though I didn't wear it, it was sentimental, and I liked it.
However, nowadays, if I had a child who was 18 or 21 I think I would give them £180 or £210 respectively, to represent the digits in the special birthday (I could give them £18 or £21 if that suited the budget better right enough)!
They could then spend it on whatever they wanted, but I would also give them something they could keep, even if it was just a small silver 18th charm for a girl or something similar for a boy, don't know what, engraved pen with 21st or something. I always struggle with boy presents!
That way they have some real cash to spend and a keepsake if they are sentimental. Plus it satisfies all the old aunties etc who would complain if you didn't give the young ones a 'proper gift'!
Sorted!

NaughtiusMaximus

I got my big 18th birthday present a year early, driving lessons, the first of which was on my 17th birthday. I honestly can't remember what I got for my 21st.

elantan

For our sons 21st we got him a sky diving experience, we wanted to get him something he would remember for a long time and an experience to be enjoyed