Gifts For Your ‘Hard To Please’ Teens
Back in college, psychology seemed like the ultimate choice. I thought it was a clear window into people’s minds. My friends and I were constantly analyzing people’s personalities around us. But as I got out of that phase and stepped out into the ‘Real World’ I really think (with all due respects to them), Freud’s and Jung’s attempts to generalize personalities really doesn’t work. And no one can know that better than a mother.
Forget about different kids with different personalities. I feel I don’t recognize my own kid every six months! I walk around the house confident that I know what my girl likes and suddenly I’m informed that I’ve got it all wrong! So, I spend the next six months getting used to her new alter ego which I know will be replaced soon. If you have a girl in the house just on the threshold of her teen years you’ll know what I am talking about. I can even hear a few sympathetic ‘tut tuts’ from some empathizing moms. I guess mood swings are not limited to just the fairer sex in this case. Boys in these year can be as hot headed.
So being a mother do you see an impending war looming over your heads with the summer vacation here or do you just take it in your stride? I suggest you do the latter. No point in really stressing it out on a war of words when you know most of the times there’s a predefined loser and that’s you. Kids will never understand why we would want to keep them at home when there is so much going on in the outside World. We have our own insecurities which we can never get across to them. So I’d suggest don’t even try since they are not in an age to understand anything. Have your own plans ready and surprise the kids this vacation. If you are unable to go out of town for a short break you can provide a lot for them at home itself.
Start with gaming. Every ‘almost’ teen loves gaming. It’s the sense of control and the virtual reality where they can exist in a different persona. They’ll spend hours gaming and no point in fretting over their eyes. Even though you might not think so, but they really are old enough to feel the pain in their eyes for themselves. So, when they really do feel the discomfort they will switch it off and move to the next thing. Like I said every six months is a new persona that stands in front of a mother. And trust me 2 months of vacation feels as long as 2 years both for the kids and the moms. So you have to give them options. Kids like options at every stage in life. Don’t just depend on a gaming consoles to sail through this period. Give them a choice of books. Keep yourself updated about their tastes in reading and gift them a book from time to time.
Who doesn’t love a well wrapped gift for no reason? As mothers we are anyways programmed to love unconditionally. So why not gift unconditionally too. Write a heartfelt note on the front page of the book, date it properly and wrap it. You’ll see the smile on your kid’s face. Don’t expect them to read all serious stuff at this age (there’s time for that later). There are bestsellers available at the click of a button. Choose well and don’t forget the handwritten note and the wrapping.
Gadgets is another thing kids this age can’t say no to. Their gadgets are their pride. But I’d suggest when you pick gadgets for them, have them by your side. It’s the one thing they would love to be seen with outside their homes. And you don’t want to restrict their feelings of pride just because you picked the wrong color or a different model.
In the humdrum of life and the constant war of words with our growing kids, we sometimes forget that they are still kids. They might not say as much in words but they still need you to be calm and patient with them from time to time. They expect you, of all people to understand their preferences and feelings for a particular thing. So give them the freedom to express themselves and embrace their preferences. You’ll see a stark difference in the quality of time you spend with them this vacation. And at the end you’ll realize it was just 2 months after all and not 2 years as you had been thinking all this while!
Source: https://www.giftease.com/blog/gifts-for-your-hard-to-please-teens/
