<p>So I haven’t been home since January and will be flying back for Fourth of July weekend. During those seven months, I finished my first year of college and then transferred to an Oklahoma flagship university. Throughout all of this my parents have been incredibly supportive and helped me figure out what I wanted to do. The last time I went home, I bought my father a sweatshirt from my school, but I don’t think my parents would be too thrilled if I bought them one from my new one because they don’t like the idea that I transferred from a more prestigious university to a mid tier state flagship (I also never told them that I just didn’t like my old school).</p>
<p>So I was wondering if you guys had any suggestions about gifts for parents that cost under $50. Did your child get you anything that you still love and cherish? Thanks in advance for any advice!</p>
<p>I think a thoughtful letter expressing your appreciation of their support would be something they would treasure.
I love getting photographs of my son. Maybe have a friend take a picture of you on campus and put it in a frame when you get home.</p>
<p>Gotta say – I just love it when my kids come home and cook. I also love it when they bring me a bottle – or a case – of my favorite wine from the winery near their college.</p>
<p>Thanks for the ideas! I forgot to include that I plan on writing a letter to my parents discussing my appreciation for them. Any other suggestions? (I’m a terrible cook.)</p>
<p>Cooking is NOT difficult. Open a can or jar of spaghetti sauce, maybe add washed sliced mushrooms (or other things), heat. Boil water and cook pasta. Make salad. Saying you’re a bad cook is a cop out. </p>
<p>Wash and detail cars. Wash windows. Help with yard work and errands. Services are generally VERY appreciated by parents, much more than purchased “stuff.”</p>
<p>I cook every three days, and usually do just what you’ve suggested, and still somehow manage to screw it up (even my mom agrees with that). But thanks for the ideas on helping around the house in other ways!</p>
<p>It sounds like you want to give them something “good” and if you feel your cooking doesn’t represent that, then scratch it off your list. You don’t want to do something you feel you’re going to have to apologize for. :)</p>
<p>Do you do anything with your hands? Art, needlework, carving? Our D is a photographer and has given us framed prints in the past, which mean a lot to us. I used to do a lot of gardening, and once I put together a pretty little garden-in-a-pot for my mom. Gifts like this represent who you are, and parents love that. Putting together a photo album would also be appreciated.</p>
<p>Gifts of service are the other thing which come from the heart. Lawn-mowing, car-detailing have been mentioned. Inside the house, I LOVE it when someone simply tends to the daily chores – it makes me feel like a queen! When someone else does the dishes, makes the beds, sweeps the kitchen, and yes, does the laundry – while I have permission to sit on the couch and read a magazine – that’s pampering. Give Mom & Dad the day off.</p>
<p>Do they have a favorite movie, perhaps from long ago? Invite them to Movie Night at Home. Buy the DVD, make some popcorn, gather up whatever other movie goodies they like.</p>
<p>Time together - discuss interesting things you learned, game night, offer to help them tackle a daunting project around the house. Let them reap the rewards of their investment in you and appreciate the person you have become. Better than any tangible item!</p>
<p>You could take pictures of yourself in various settings on campus. What is your daily life like? Then put them together in one of those electronic picture frames. When we would visit S2 who goes to college far away, I loved to see the cafeteria, see where he parked his car, see his room, where he hung out, where he shopped, etc.</p>
<p>Clean out “your” room at their house. Get rid of anything that you don’t want to keep, and make sure anything you’re keeping is neat and organized by the time you leave. Offer to put some of your things in the basement or attic (if they have those spaces). You get the idea…</p>
<p>Your parents may not love that you switched schools, but they still love you. So in the pictures you give to them, take one of you in a shirt from your new college. ;)</p>