A male relative is graduating from HS this year, and my dad (his great uncle) was invited to the graduation. Can’t attend, dad is far away and 90, but he wants to give a gift. But he has no idea what to get, so asked me for advice. He absolutely refuses to give money or a gift card. Wants to give a “thing”. If I don’t help him, I’m afraid he will send a dictionary or something. He has only met this kid a couple of time (I know him a little better than my dad does, have met him more times and am FB friends with him).
I looked through old threads out here. The only suggestion I saw that might appeal to my dad was a nice pen. Does anyone have other suggestions for a 90 year old to give to him? Lots of things we’d think of just wouldn’t resonate with my dad, I suspect. The kid was on the tennis team in high school, I think will be majoring in some kind of social sciences in college. Don’t even know for sure where he is going (parents weren’t on same page on finances when I saw them this spring, so except for recommending net price calculators and mentioning a few schools that offer merit in his stat range, I’ve carefully stayed away from that conversation).
Does the campus bookstore sell college ties? If not, Vineyard Vines sells collegiate ties, but they are probably more than $50.
One more edit: Smathers & Branson sells Needlepoint Card Wallets for $55. My son received one as a gift and has used it daily for almost four years. Very slim lines.
We just finished buying dress clothes for DS2. And he is using them.
How about a leather dress belt or wallet. Before you know it, kiddo will be going on job interviews. Ties are tricky because you have to get the width right for the younger set.
I was thinking along the lines of doschicos - a multi tool, Swiss Army knife, etc. I put together a “survival kit” for a neighbor’s son who was going to have to drive 8 hours to school in Montana. I bought several of the low cost items from Cabelas to keep in his car in case of emergency. Here’s the link to that department, but there’s lots of cool stuff in other departments also.
Meanwhile, my son took the very old car to college this year without any of the above items. Jumper cables in the back and a flashlight in the glove box, plus the AAA membership.
Very nice of your dad. Good ideas above. Here are a couple more:
–I got my S a nice keychain with his initials engraved when he graduated HS and he still uses it today.
–My D’s roommate has a small tool kit that continues to be is very useful.
–If he doesn’t like the hoodie idea, maybe order a mug, a baseball cap (or something else that doesn’t require knowing his size) from the college he ends up attending.
–I like the Swiss army knife idea too.
-hardbound book about the graduate’s hometown and a note about “roots”
-a silver 2018 coin or a boxed set of 2018 silver coins
-an engraved leather journal or photo album with name and grad date
-engraved leather passport cover
-camping gear for college roadtrips
-cool lamp
-cool clock
-duffel bag (Costco has a great wheeled one my college kid loves for $40)
-travel book: I got a “most scenic drives in the US” book recently and love it; Lonely Planet’s "The Travel Book"or similar
-roku,chromecast or appletv thingy
-a card or note with some comments about life after high school in 1946 (or whenever he graduated) followed up by his best life advice.
DS’s great aunt/uncle sent him a package of ten pairs of tube socks at graduation with his college’s initials/logo on them… It was a nice thought, but I thought it was funny since DS mostly wears sandals.
We saw aunt/uncle that Thanksgiving and they were pleased they had just gotten such a nice note from him - he had written about how it had just gotten colder and he really appreciated them. I was shocked he hadn’t written it earlier, but relieved he had at last remembered.
He has only met this kid a couple of time (I know him a little better than my dad does, have met him more times and am FB friends with him).