I need graduation gift ideas  

I'd recommend a cheque, or gift certificate to one of her favourite stores, or to the book store of the college she will be attending, if she is graduating from high school. If its just grede school, go for a gift certficate to the local movie theatre.

MONEY! Any graduate I've ever known as said they just want money - most just pool everything they get and buy something big they want. My #2 son bought 'a real computer' with his graduation 'collection'.

Ok, joke is remember this was 10 years ago. At that time he had a computer we now refer to as 'the dinosaur' - it was huge, slow, and didn't even have a modem.

Hello makingpots, it really difficult to choose the best gift for someone we dont really know. For me, I like to give something that is useful and usually it is a pen.

That is a tough one, Makingpots, since you do not know her very well...her personal tastes are a mystery...I would probably get a traditional card and enclose a "gift card" to a local mall or store that she would be able to pick out what she wanted but did not get for graduation from the others who will be giving gifts to her...

I do not feel that this is impersonal because you really do not know what would make her happy...so she gets what SHE wants and that is the best gift you can give a teenager...what she wants and a reason to shop...LOL

I wish you the best in deciding what to get her....

Take care, my friend.

related resource: personal care

Yes I would say just the usual gift. Are you thinking money? I think most graduates like money over real gifts- They can use it at college or to buy a vehicle or things for school. I don’t think it matters how well you know the kids- just how well you know the family. I’d give whatever you give to friend’s children who graduated. Of course you can do a gift instead- I have never given gift only money- so I’m not sure what I’d give-

I am like you. I love to give great gifts. Of course the gift of choice is money or gift certificate. I hate to give just money. I really like them to open something with the money or gift certificate. I was thinking some bath products (shea butter lotion or bath salts) with a tag saying Congratulations - Now you can take sometime to pamper yourself! Just a thought. Good Luck!

Have you thought of a scrapbook or say a photo album? They have some really nice ones, that aren't too expensive. Or maybe like I suggested to someone else a gift certificate to a salon for cut and styling or something similar. Not too many teenagers splurge on getting a haircut. Hope this helps. :)

I agree, the youth nowadays will appreciate "money" for a gift. Not only they can choose what they really want (which is a safe choice on your part b'coz you don't really know this person), they can also save it for something else. Just a thought. :)

I'm probably not going to answer your discussion with a proper response makingpots. I'll say that right up front because these type things just get under my skin.

A man works in a differnt office than my husband but under the same supervision so to speak. It's a very well known fact that the two men have a certain animosity toward each other for various reasons. The one man was trained by my husband but early on took it upon himself to basically, do what he wanted to do straying away from his training. Hence, he has established his own reputation as being a very difficult person to deal with, even from his superiors. Suffice it to say, the two men don't see eye to eye at all and don't associate in any way outside the work environment.

YET - in his own arrogance, he sees it as appropriate to send us an invitation to his son's graduation. I've never seen the reasoning behind invitations like this. It truly baffles me. With the known relationship and feelings he openly shows for my husband, (everyone knows the circumstances), the man wouldn't sit down with my husband to share a cup of coffee! Why is he sending us a graduation invitation for his son?

It's certainly not done as a peace offering of any kind. Do people haphazardly just send invitation out to whomever they can think of? Do they think their children will be graced with expensive graduation gifts? What is it?

It's certainly nothing personal against his son but it is an instant response of "How dare you send an invitation to us, knowing #1, We won't come to graduation ceremony and #2, We wouldn't buy this person (whom we don't even know and have never met)a gift and #3, Can you believe people's audacity?

It completely confuses me and I refuse to buy gifts for people under these conditions. I'm probably biased and wrong in how I feel. The same holds true for wedding invitations and other type invitations. I see it as a feeble requests to see how many nice gifts can be received from people they don't know and wouldn't give the time of day to.

It just makes me crazy!

In answer to your discussion? Since you have a relationship with these people I can see where you would want to buy a gift. Maybe a nice pen set or a good dictionary might do the trick. A good book might be something to give with a thoughtful inscription. Maybe something like "How to grow up not expecting everyone to buy gifts for you". I don't know.

Sorry that I used this discussion to vent. I apologize.

I agree with the first poster, a gift certificate is always a safe bet.

Maybe a gift certificate to one of the more popular malls in your area or even Amazon.

But one thing I don't like about gift certificates, is that people would always know how much you spent for that gift and would either judge you as generous or a cheapskate.

That's why I always prefer buying my gifts from some unknown shop and would probably give them a figurine or snow globe or something. LOL.