High School Valentine Gifts

I know it’s a little early but I’m trying to help my daugher with ideas. This is the first Valentine’s Day that she will have a person in her life. She was asking me to help her think of a gift. They’ve been together a few months so it hasn’t been long term, but they do seem good together. My daughter is a senior so she is hoping that this is her prom date etc. He plays basketball for the school team and is busy with that so he doesn’t have many outside interest.

My oldest is a boy so it was easy, dinner and flowers. I hoping for ideas that appropriate for that age, but not over the top. Does that make sense?

Thanks.

I think something meaningful and romantic is good and doesn’t even have to cost money. She could burn him a CD of either favorite songs, romantic songs, etc. She could give him a framed photo of the two of them together. She could write him a romantic poem and frame it.

I guess if you really want a more material gift, she could get him a jersey of his favorite basketball player.

I think dinner & flowers could be nice keeping in mind the lenght of time they’ve been a couple.
I don’t think you have to go big for manufactured holidays.

Like everyone else, boys appreciate something thoughtful, but personally I think dinner and flowers or a photo are a little much for a new relationship. My guys always loved the music CDs their girlfriends made, and one had a friendship bracelet (braided parachute cord) he wore forever. Clothing is surprisingly popular too - T shirt of a favorite band or team would be a hit. Food, if she doesn’t make it herself (that seems to send the wrong signal of domesticity – but an overload of storebought seems okay! go figure…) Movie tickets. If he drives, gift card to the gas station in a container of hershey kisses…

Smaller is always better, imho. You don’t want to put him in the position of feeling like she’s trying to upstage him, or pressure him to be more serious than he may be. Breakups around Valentine’s are pretty common, and often generated by unmet expectations!

Also – it’s okay for her to just ask, too. If she’s wondering, so is he.

Homemade cookies. This always worked like a charm for my girls. Always was very appreciated especially because so few actually ever bake from scratch, so the cookies were a real treat for the young man.

I agree with others who’ve said to keep it small and simple.

I’ll chime in too-a few months is a very short time and nothing over-the-top or super romantic is warranted.I think my HS boyfriend gave me candy, and my ex just a few years later gave me a stuffed animal and a book of poetry. I still have that. My D is dating for the first time and the kids bonded over thrift-shopping (really!) so for Christmas she got him a gift certificate to a thrift shop and a sweater she’d bought there. He was thrilled. Valentine’s Day hasn’t been mentioned yet, but She’s mentioned baking him cookies so…

DS2’s gf got him tickets to see a favorite act of theirs. Perfect. He was over the moon.

Something ‘material’ and something sentimental–both small…Example: movie tix or iTunes gift card and homemade cookies (to a teenage boy, homemade cookies ARE sentimental!!)…Keep it light and simple–boys feel the pressure, too.

How about heart shaped spritz (butter) cookies? I make mine pink using red food coloring.

DS’s and his current GF had been dating for a few months when his birthday came up. She made him a scrap book with selfie pictures of the two of them she had taken on her cell phone. I haven’t seen it but he told me about it. I think she printed the pictures on her printer. He really like it.

It sounds like home-baked cookies, brownies, bars, etc. is the most popular suggestion. The good thing is that it’s consumable and not too big an obligation and not much $$$$. Keep things simple and light seems safest.

I agree with keeping it low key. We always reminded our kids that the chances of this current relationship ( in HS) being “the one” was slim. So keep it in perspective and proceed accordingly…cookies, a date night, or a gift card for fave food…no need to be romantic. Heavens, what message do we want our young, naive children to send? They give off enough romantic vibes just by being young and unfettered by reality! Keep it tame and age appropriate :slight_smile:

Are music CDs still popular among young people? I heard they will (if not already) soon be replaced by streaming audio.

(We still keep a lot of music CDs our child collected, but have a feeling that we may eventually get rid of them. Our computer does not have a CD player. Actually, at our home, we likely have no means to play a CD!)

I love the heart shaped home made cookies and “mixtape” idea. It is inexpensive but very personal and thoughtful at the same time. She would know what media would be best for a “mixtape”. You could even put it on a cheap thumb drive if he has no access to a CD player.

D told me today that her BF said he wants to get to know the kinds of music she likes. So she is making him a “mixtape”. The kids do still use CD’s, but they can also do it all digitally and email the files. That’s how he sent her HIS mix.

I don’t actually remember giving any of my jr high or high school boyfriends a v day present other than a card.
Making a mixtape back then was too much work!
I agree with keeping it " no pressure".
A mix cd or playlist, or cookies if she wants to do something besides a card.
I did make my H a lemon meringue pie just a few months after I met him.( we were out of high school)
I made two, one for my family & one for his, that I assume went over ok.
I’d never made one before, I don’t know what I was thinking.
( never made one since either :wink: )

I think women and girls always like jewelry. Even a simple pendant seems to make wifey happy. For a guy? The only that comes to mind is some lingerie for him to enjoy on her. Sorry, but if you’re stumped for something for hubby, try a simple button down night-shirt, or two-piece teddy and shorts. Wifey seems very fond of the recent pajamas I got her at Victoria Secrets and I like them too. These are more comfy than sexy, they are a two-piece set of what feel like thermal under wear (long sleeve full leg), but feminine. They wash and dry great and don’t seem to shrink.

2-month HS boyfriend? Maybe he would like Titan headphones. My son always seems to need a new pair, well at least twice a year and they aren’t cheap.

Never mind…they broke up. Now I need ideas for what to do about a daughter with a broken heart. Ahhhh high school

Poor kiddo :frowning:

As my music teacher (who was so so old!) was fond of saying…there’s a streetcar every 20 minutes.

What other adages are there for the heartbroken? There are plenty more fish in the sea comes to mind…