by Maria C Collins

Created on: March 04, 2013   Last Updated: March 05, 2013

Buying gifts for a teenager can be a minefield, into which the unwary tread at their peril. Teenagers are beginning to find their own characters and distance themselves from their parents. The child that was happy with most gifts suddenly becomes very choosy. There are many gifts that you really shouldn’t buy for a teenager, some because they will not like them and some because they are unsuitable for safety or other reasons.

Teenagers are very particular about their clothes and do not want to wear the clothes that their parents wear. Any parent, who has gone shopping with a teenager, knows that teenagers’ tastes in clothes are very singular. Never buy clothes for a teenager unless the teenager has pointed out the article to you recently, within days. Teenagers’ tastes change quickly and what they liked last month, or last week, may not be the same as they like now. Never buy clothes that you would like to see them wearing, they will hate them, on principle.

Teenagers especially girls, might want to wear very revealing clothes, because they are fashionable and they do not understand that such clothes may bring unwanted and dangerous attention. It is true that, in an ideal world, people should be able to wear any type of clothing and be safe; unfortunately, we do not live in an ideal world. Adults know what dangers lurk in the world and they would be very irresponsible to buy such clothes for a teenage girl.

Unless you know exactly what music a teenager likes, do not buy music. You may hear on the television news that teenagers are going mad for a particular singer or band. However, that does not necessarily mean that your teenager enjoys that act.

Teenagers often enjoy playing computer games. You should not buy computer games as a gift for a teenager, unless you know that s/he wants that particular game. Do check that it is in the correct format for his/her console, computer, or player. Also bear in mind that teenagers may want to play games that are unsuitable for their years. Most games now carry age guides; do not buy games labelled 18+ for a 13 year old and consult the young person’s parents; they may have good reasons for not wanting their youngster to have a particular game.

Teenagers are reaching towards adulthood. They want people to accept that they growing up. Although younger teenagers might still secretly sleep with a teddy bear, they do not want what they might call babyish gifts. That includes toys and board games.

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