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Magnificat
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| Posted: Jan 22 2015 at 7:48am | IP Logged
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Hello everyone!
My DS is turning (gulp) 18 in February. I am hunting for ideas--
He is a very low key kinda guy. I'm thinking of just a few of his friends over and....what?? I feel like this should be a huge celebration, however-he is also graduating in June and we are planning a big deal for that.
Any thoughts? Gifts? I would like it to be special, but not "over the top" either...
Thanks for any thoughts!
Charlotte in VA
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SeaStar
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| Posted: Jan 22 2015 at 11:37am | IP Logged
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HI, Charlotte...
What about declaring a "DS Week"?
You could plan a week of activities that he will enjoy:
cook his favorite meal
movie night with his favorite movie
dinner out at his favorite restaurant
let him be exempt from chores for the week
give him 18 of something that he really likes: 18 cans of Coke, 18 doughnuts, 18 extra minutes added on his curfew....
You could type all this up and present them to him as certificates, on a scroll, on a banner, or just a sheet of paper with a special thing listed for every day of the week:
Monday: No chores for you today
Tuesday: Pizza for dinner
Wednes... etc
You could really make it a fun week for him!
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Melinda, mom to ds ('02) and dd ('04)
SQUILT Music Appreciation
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JodieLyn
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| Posted: Jan 22 2015 at 12:23pm | IP Logged
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Got an 18th coming up in March here. As far as a *nice* gift without being "a brand new car"(that should be heard as if the announcer from the Price is Right was announcing it), I was wondering if we could swing getting her a laptop. As far as a party or whatnot.. she's hoping to earn enough money to go on a little trip to see some friends.
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Jodie, wife to Dave
G-18, B-17, G-15, G-14, B-13, B-11, G-9, B-7, B-5, B-4
All men who have turned out worth anything have had the chief hand in their own education.
-Sir Walter Scott
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SallyT
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| Posted: Jan 22 2015 at 1:13pm | IP Logged
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I love that "18-of-something" idea! And the idea of the whole week having some daily festive aspect for the birthday person.
We've just asked our kids what they wanted to do for "big" birthdays -- so far we've had two 16ths, which also seemed kind of significant, even if the people in question weren't driving yet, one 18th, and one 21st.
What they've typically chosen is a dinner out with the family, or special dinner of their choice at home -- when our daughter turned 21 a few weeks ago, her request was to go out for a nicer-than-usual dinner with just her dad and me, which seemed like a really nice tradition to start.
We do cake, ice cream, and presents as always, at home with family. Then either on the same night, or at a later date, depending, the birthday person usually wants to go out with friends -- to a movie, for coffee, etc. If the friend-outing is another night, they usually do dinner, too.
Gifts for a young man might include a nicer-than-everyday watch (I actually found a really nice-looking one for my 17yo son for Christmas at Aldi), some good camping gear or exercise equipment, if he's into that kind of thing; books, if he likes books as gifts (my son, again, had VERY specific requests at Christmas, and that was chiefly what he wanted and appreciated); something for his new life at college, if he's going away. Even though he's likely to get a good bit of "dorm stuff" for graduation, if he's college-bound or otherwise moving out, something for his independent, "adult" life as a birthday gift is a nice gesture.
And ha, yes, both of my olders would love a "Brand New Car!" The 21-year-old has finally saved enough to buy herself a used car from our mechanic, after years and years of "needing" one . . . :) Her car fund did get a boost from her grandmother as a combined Christmas/birthday/early-graduation-from-college present, and she really appreciated that. Even if you can't outright buy whatever it is they want/need -- car, laptop, etc -- a contribution to their savings for said item is a good gift.
Congrats to all the turning-18-year-olds!
Sally
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Magnificat
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| Posted: Jan 23 2015 at 6:37am | IP Logged
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Thank you for the ideas! I love the "ds" week, and maybe even a little trip...
You have given me a nice "springboard" to help get my brain in motion...
Thank you so much!
Peace,
Charlotte
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~~~Proud To Be A Mom To 3!!!~~~
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4Real Forums : Mothering and Family Life
Topic: Turning 18-What did you do?
