Sunday, November 25, 2012 -
Buying gifts for teens A shley English doesn’t answer right away. Instead, she takes a thoughtful pause and checks with her twin sister Rachel before responding to the question. “Rachel and I have the same answer because we like and are interested in the same things,” she says. Their favourite Christmas present: a net book (small, portable laptop) they got last year. “Since we have the same hobbies we can share presents,” she adds. At 16, Rachel and Ashley are busy with school and soccer like many teenagers on the North Shore. They are both “really keen” on arts and enjoy spending time with their friends. Born at just 27 weeks and weighing in at just 1,100 grams (about two pounds) each, the sisters spent one month at Lions Gate Hospital and three months at B.C. Children’s Hospital’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit before going home. Despite their difficult start, their dad describes them as “happy, healthy young ladies.” Both Ashley and Rachel say their favourite thing about Christmas is being able to take a break from their regular schedule. “I like how you can relax with your friends,” says Rachel, noting Christmas is a time to enjoy the winter scene. Although she and her sister don’t ski or snowboard, they do enjoy skating and the occasional snowball fight.
Ashley agrees that Christmas is a time to connect. “I like it when we get together as a family,” she adds. It’s great to be able to catch up with family members they don’t get to chat with as much during the year, she says. Another activity the sisters enjoy that has become a sort of tradition in the family: shopping with their mom on Boxing Day. They can pick up items on Boxing Day that they may have wanted for Christmas but didn’t get, they note. Choosing gifts for teens can be difficult, they admit, and each year Ashley and Rachel give each other wish lists so each sister knows what the other wants. But what about those of us who don’t have a list to follow? What can we get for teens this year? PHOTO CINDY GOODMAN
Rachel and Ashley have some advice: 1. Gift cards or prepaid credit cards are a safe bet.
Sisters say keep it simple
Starbucks, Apple store, Indigo and popular clothing stores are top choices. Gift cards for makeup may be a good option for teens who wear makeup, but buying specific makeup items should be left to parents or close friends. 2. Stay away from specific music. Justin
Bieber may be the top-grossing young artist in North America right now, but he’s not everybody’s cup of tea. Ashley and Rachel suggest giving iTunes gift cards for the musicloving teens in your life, so they can download the music they like.
3. Electronics are always popular. Video games, game
systems, smart phones and tablets are big-ticket items that teens love. But Rachel and Ashley warn these are gifts that may be best left to parents since you may not know the specific type of phone or game system a teen wants or already has. 4. Teenagers love to go to the movies. Despite easy access to movies online these days, teens still enjoy fun outings with friends, say the sisters. Gift certificates for movies are a good idea for film fans. 5. Sports equipment is another popular option, but, again, you need to know the specific sport your teens enjoy. A gift certificate to a sporting goods store may be a better idea. 6. Teen artists, such as Ashley and Rachel, appreciate sketchbooks, pencils and other art supplies, which can be expensive. Finding
out if teens have a particular hobby, such as astronomy or bird watching, might help to narrow your gift search. 7. The main message about buying gifts for teens: Keep it simple. Unless you are a parent
or close friend or relative and know a teen’s particular tastes, don’t purchase extravagant items they may not want or can’t use.
ROSALIND DUANE
TEEN TALK Rachel (left) and Ashley English have some suggestions for shopping for teens this holiday season.
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