<p>my daughter just doesnt know what she wants and has no ideas… and i have no idea what to get her either (lol)</p>
<p>would love some suggestions!</p>
<p>:D</p>
<p>my d asked for lady gaga tix and a signet ring with the family crest. We always do a birthday trip since she has a summer birthday so we are just going someplace special this year. A special piece of jewelry is nice. My sister wanted to get her a diamond cross but my d wanted the signet ring. (My sister is an antiques jeweler)</p>
<p>For our DD we will get her a couple of things. The big item that I always get for every girl, including nieces and close friends DDs is a small diamond horseshoe necklace. It has now become a tradition with us.</p>
<p>I also buy a christmas ornament from the school. </p>
<p>My DD has also picked out a glass blown window ornament of the tree of life. She doesn’t know that she is getting it, or the fact that it comes in 3 sizes so I am planning to buy all 3. One will be from us, One will be from my Mom and one from my brother (her godfather) to take with her to school to remind her that she is a tree, she will grow, but her roots will always be deeply planted with her family.</p>
<p>Boring old me–for my kids it’s a laptop the summer before college.</p>
<p>(Although one male tradition in my family is to get the standard Tiffany’s silver belt buckle with initials. DS#1 wears DH’s even though he has his own. Once had to write an essay on his favorite thing and it was about DH’s belt. They are a classic that will last a lifetime.)</p>
<p>Bulletandpima - you brought tears to my eyes with the tree gift. My younger son is turning 18 and older son is turning 21 - both milestone birthdays. I am already dreading younger son leaving for school in the fall. What a beautiful idea to let your daughter know you will always be there to support her.</p>
<p>I cried as I was typing it, because more than anything I found it unique that she fell in love with the tree of life ornament. She was a military brat and I guess to her that tugged on her own heart.</p>
<p>It really is a unique ornament. It is a glass ball and inside it made out of glass is a tree. You just stare at and try to figure out they did it.</p>
<p>I think it is harder for boys, because they are boys and to them unique gifts will never be as cool as an Xbox. We are catholic, so the one thing we gave to our DS was a St James medallion after James of Cupertino, the patron saint of flyers. DS is in the AFROTC program so it had special meaning to him. So special that when the chain broke he called me up asking for me to mail a new chain because finals were approaching and it was to him his good luck charm.</p>
<p>I would say for parents to get a unique gift that is out of the box. One that they will feel the amount of thought behind it.</p>
<p>Another example, for our DS when he turned 18 we bought him a star sapphire ring. Trust me he was not impressed then, but when he realized that the reason why we did it he felt differently. Bullet’s father has a star sapphire pinky ring, I bought Bullet one for our 10th anniversary. So in his paternal line it is a tradition that they all have the ring.</p>
<p>For our DD we bought her Algerian Love Knot earrings when Bullet retired out of the AF. They are her favorite pr of earrings. They are very neat looking. If you saw the James Bond movie with the new guy, the necklace the girl wore was an Algerian Love Knot.</p>
<p>A great site to go to for unique jewelry at reasonable prices is <a href=“http://www.evesaddiction.com%5B/url%5D”>www.evesaddiction.com</a> I love their tiffany key pendants. They are sterling silver with cubic, but just neat. You can get one of those and write a note saying you will always be the key to my heart or you will always have a key to home. It is not about the $$$ you spend it is about the emotion you feel.</p>
<p>A bible is the only “out of the box” gift Son will receive. He was never confirmed, so he never had a religious occassion to receive a bible of his own. </p>
<p>We were planning to give a laptop. But we had to nix that idea upon learning WFU issues a laptop to each new student. Drat.</p>
<p>Some “lighter” or more traditional gifts Son will probably get include:<br>
Cheapo TV
Flip video camera
a collapsible camp chair with cupholder (like we use at soccer fields, etc.)
a moonbounce at his grad party</p>
<p>I love the tree idea. I’ll give credit to pima if I copy it. :)</p>
<p>DougBetsy, I don’t have off the top of my head the site my Mom bought our kids bibles from for their confirmation, but they are truly beautiful and useful. They have gold leaf edging, and beautiful artwork. </p>
<p>You can also go to a christian store and buy a saint medallion in their name. You can take it to your church and have it blessed. Bullet’s mom is jewish and her sisters buy a tree in Israel as a present for graduation. They can never hold it or see it daily, but it is tradition to the family.</p>
<p>One thing that I would recommend for the light side as a joke is a mason jar filled with quarters, a laundry basket and detergent. HINT HINT to them you are now in charge of your laundry!</p>
<p>For a DD maybe you should also think about giving her a girls day our with her BFF before graduation. For example if graduation is at night contact Aveda or the high end spa in your area and make an appt for a mani/pedi/massage for her and her bff. Granted it is nothing she will ever be able to hold, but it is a memory and maybe she will love it so much to make it a tradition for her DD.</p>
<p>For DS’s you can do a golf day with his buds.</p>
<p>To me it is all about making a memory. You can buy a cheap piece of jewelry and touch their heart more than buying a 10 ct diamond bracelet. I think we forget that our kids treasure the heart touch more than the big cost item. </p>
<p>I must admit that I am a sucker for creating traditions. I have a kids christmas tree and a white house ornament tree to prove it! I have artwork framed from their elementary school days. My Mom to me has the greatest guest bathroom because she framed all of her grandchildren pre-school butterflies…we all know that one, you know the one where they fold it in half and pour tempra paint on it and smush it together. She also stole from me their artwork for holidays and framed them too. She actually decorates the house with their elementary school artwork. DS’s are embarrassed, DD thinks it is cute! It is a memory that they have and I know one day not to far in the future that to them this piece of art will mean more to them than a Picasso.</p>
<p>pima: your children’s art story brought back such a memory to me. When I was in kindergarten, my mom framed a piece of art I did in an inexpensive frame and gave it to my grandparents. It was in bright Crayola colors, abstract stars, with a black overwash. They hung it in the living room of their farmhouse, over the cedar chest. There it was, all during the years of my growing up, and it was the only artwork from any of their 14 grandchildren. When my grandma sold the farm after my grandpa died, she gave me the painting.</p>
<p>We gave S1 money for a trip to Mexico with a friend’s family as his grad. gift.<br>
We’ve never really traveled so it was a great opportunity and an experience he’ll always remember…can’t lose it or break it (which is what has happened to a LOT of his stuff over the years).</p>
<p>S2 inherited DH’s “hand-me-down” pickup truck near the end of his senior year. He loved the truck but not the “Old Man” stereo system. Since he would be spending many hours driving said truck back and forth to college, his grad. gift request was a new stereo system. We gave him a price range and let him choose it…what do us old folks know about that stuff anyway? We still listen to cd’s in the car! He’s a college soph. now and has really enjoyed the system…says he’ll keep the truck forever.</p>
<p>For HS graduation both my kids got $ toward a laptop.</p>
<p>For college, I think we’re gonna give S a car–H’s 2001 Hyundai with 180.000 miles on it–still runs great.</p>
<p>Times have changed. All we got from OUR parents was a kick in the rear and a push out the door ;)</p>
<p>Cash is the usual gift from other relatives.</p>
<p>We usually give jewelry for special events. D1 already has earrings, necklace, ring and bracelet. She is getting a trip to Florida with friends and some other piece of jewelry to mark the graduation. I just don’t know what!</p>
<p>atmom I agree I remember my HS graduation, my mom slapped me…“How dare you graduate, I don’t have a baby anymore”.</p>
<p>Unfortunately society has changed and now it is expected. I guess that is why I go the cheap, but heart string route. I want them to understand life is more than a $$$.</p>
<p>Call me silly, but I made quilts for each of our children when they were babies, they were never used for everyday purposes, but still I have them sealed and when they have their first child I will hand them back to them to carry on.</p>
<p>I have the cheapest cheesiest frame with a no nothing calligraphy saying on it, but I hang it in my house anyway.</p>
<p>It is appropriate to me to post what it says, because all of the Moms and Dads on this board will feel the exact same tug on their heart like me.</p>
<p>Here goes:
Cleaning and scrubbing
can wait till
tomorrow, for babies
grow up, we’ve learned
to our sorrow…
So quite down cobwebs,
dust go to sleep…
I’m rocking my baby-
and babies don’t keep.</p>
<p>Our babies are now adults and one day in the future they will get the big clue that as cheesy our present was it meant something from our point of view.</p>
<p>I am heartbroken that our DD is going. I am so happy for her, and trust me I have no problem with the fact that her bedroom and bath will be pristine. It is just so hard to accept that I have to let her fly and she will now be on her own. Everyday our DD gives me the countdown and everyday I smile as my heart feels like a knife was cut through it. Talk to me tomorrow and I am sure I will feel differently because she will probably tick me off tonight ;)</p>
<p>I honestly find it hard to be on this site now because I think emotionally parents and kids are polar opposite. Kids want to leave, parents want them to re-do sr yr.</p>
<p>We are giving S a family trip & a Skagel watch with a SS mesh band that is nice (was on sale at Costco for $60 & adjustable). The trip is as much for each of us as it is for him but it is one last thing I wanted us to do together before he goes off into his full-time job. He’s not very sentimental in general (cherishes experiences more than “things”), so haven’t bought any jewelry or ornaments. Not sure about D, who will be next year or soon thereafter.</p>
<p>Bullet & Pima</p>
<p>I love that saying! I used to see it as an embroidery kit & I wish I had bought it & worked it up! It is so true!</p>
<p>Where do you get those tree of life ornaments? Iam stealing your idea – also I am going to do the laundry basket & quarters. Will have to start saving them now!</p>
<p>The tree of life ornament is here in Occoquan VA, unfortunately I don’t know the name, but I am going tomorrow. I will see if they have a web site. The biggest ornament is 50, then I think it goes down to 37.50 and then 25,</p>
<p>Occoquan became famous yrs ago because Oprah did her favorite things and one of them was from Occoquan. Ironically, I had fell in love with it before her show. It is a lamp with a candle lamp shade. It honestly looks like a lamp. It only costs 50 bucks.</p>
<p>For those going to beachy schools they also do star fishes in school colors.</p>
<p>I can tell you the Mason jar takes $41 in quarters. I highly suggest this also because kids will use it for soda and snack machines. Don’t do it and they will hit their ATM for cash.</p>
<p>The one thing our DS loved was that I called him and asked are you going to be around tonight or tomorrow night? I then ordered pizza or wings to be delivered to the dorm.</p>
<p>When you visit the campus make sure you brain check that option.</p>
<p>Kids love this, and it is cheaper than mailing anything</p>
<p>When my son graduated from high school two years ago, I bought him a laptop to bring to college. (It still works!) But my special present to him was our trip to Rome that summer, the first time I’d taken him overseas since we went to London when he was 12. And, sad as it is to think, maybe the last time. Anyway, I’ll always remember that trip, and I hope he does too.</p>
<p>My mother gave me luggage for graduation.
DH’s gave him a typewriter.</p>
<p>D asked for and is getting 2 tickets to a particular sporting event. She asked for them for Christmas - they weren’t for sale yet. Asked again for her birthday, but also asked for an iPod Touch. She got the iPod Touch. Last weekend she was really upset about a longterm friendship that appeared to have gone down the drain. While we were discussing that, somehow the topic of the tickets came up again. She asked if I could get them as a grad present, so I did. It’s not what I wanted to get her, but it made her feel better and it’s what she claims she wants. </p>
<p>Honestly, our graduation gift to our kids is their college tuition. We pay their tuition, room, board and books for all 4 years. If there are loans, we will repay them. We expect our kids to provide their own spending/fun money, but we pay the rest. And I think that’s a pretty good graduation present!</p>
<p>Love reading these ideas. I got a very nice, name-brand watch from my mom & stepdad upon college graduation. It doesn’t keep perfect time, but it’s on my wrist now 25 years later. I plan on giving it to D when she graduates from college many, many years from now. My brother - who has 3 Ds - is planning on giving his watch to our S. The sentiment is far more important than the watch. I hope we may start a tradition!</p>