Birthday present for 19 year old??

[Storm Bride]

DS1's birthday was on Monday. He turned 19, which is legal drinking age here. He's now a legal adult, in every respect (voting, signing contracts, joining military, drinking, etc. etc.). We still haven't bought his birthday present, because we have no idea what to get him!! Looking for any thoughts that anyone might have. We don't usually have a problem choosing gifts for him, but I'm really stumped. His interests include:

Videogames (he has 3-4 systems, and doesn't really want any others right now)

Watching movies

Juggling

Sketching/drawing

Acting (he's taking acting at college, in fact)

Reading (not a lot, but when a series gets his attention, he devours it)

Gymnastics

Comic books (esp. Spider-Man, and a few other Marvel titles, but mostly Spider-Man)

umm.....let's see...he's also been interested in leatherwork, but hasn't actively pursued it in a while. He started to learn to crochet years ago. He's expressed interest in learning all kinds of other crafts/skills (random sampling of things he wants to learn "some day": Tae Kwon Do, dance, glass blowing, blacksmithing, spinning wool...lots of other stuff, but I can't remember it all). However, his time is pretty booked up with his schoolwork, job, gymnastics coaching (at his old high school) and girlfriend. I don't think he'd have time for any classes.lessons we might try to buy for him.

He has a decent assortment of juggling equipment. He owns a laptop (grad gift from us, which he uses mostly for school), and has a fairly new cellphone. He has an iPod, with most of the music he could want on it...and I think he still has money on the iTunes gift card his best buddy gave him for Christmas. He enjoys getting gift cards and cash, but really prefers an actual gift from his close family.

I'm stumped. Any thoughts? The time constraints, and the fact that he already has a bunch of the "extras" (laptop, cellphone, video game systems, etc.) make this one a hard call.

[nstewart]

What about doing something special with him? (just you)  Maybe a weekend trip? Go on a hike?  Womething like that? 

[Storm Bride]

Originally Posted by nstewart 

What about doing something special with him? (just you)  Maybe a weekend trip? Go on a hike?  Womething like that? 

He doesn't have time right now, and I'm also not leaving dd2 for overnights yet (pretty soon, but not yet). She's only been nightweaned for a couple of months, and still nurses first thing every morning. I carve out some occasional dates - we have one scheduled for the local drive-in restaurant, actually - but something that big won't work right now. I don't think he'd want to be away from his girlfriend that long, either.

I do love the idea, though. I may keep it in mind for next year...

[Cyllya]

Get him a bigass gift card to art store?

[Jen Muise]

tickets to a concert or show?  A lot of movie theaters have open ended ticket packages, too, maybe dinner and a movie pack for him and a friend? 

[whatsnextmom]

I like the ticket idea. If he's into acting, how about tickets to a national tour coming to town. Plus, that is something he can take the girlfriend to. Sometimes the venue where all the tours go will offer gift certificates and he can choose whatever show he wants.

[MariaMadly]

A movie night gift basket?  Some DVDs, snacks (maybe home-made favorites if you have a chance), maybe a couple gift certs to a local theater.

The other thing I can think of is cool accessories for what he does have, if that's the kind of thing that would feel like a present to him.  Protective cases in a favorite pattern or color, for example.  My DS2 is also 19, and when he started using downloads other than iTunes, I was sunk for ideas!  For Christmas, DH and I resorted to armloads of cozy, lined plaid flannel shirts.  They actually went over much better than we thought they would.

Happy Birthday to your DS!

[34me]

What about something like this http://www.amazon.com/Amazing-Spider-Man-Complete-Comic-Collection/dp/B000HKIM7Q/ref=cm_lmf_tit_8

My dh is waaay into Spiderman and has it, loves it.  You can carry it with you :-)

For my dd's 18th we got her tix to the touring company of Wicked...

[Storm Bride]

Originally Posted by MariaMadly 

A movie night gift basket?  Some DVDs, snacks (maybe home-made favorites if you have a chance), maybe a couple gift certs to a local theater.

This would actually be perfect, except that he works at hte local movie theatre. So, he gets "cast passes" for free movies, anyway. He also gets a staff snack of popcorn and a drink every shift, so they've lost some of their "treat" impact, yk? I may get him some DVDs, if I can think of anything...

The other thing I can think of is cool accessories for what he does have, if that's the kind of thing that would feel like a present to him.  Protective cases in a favorite pattern or color, for example.  My DS2 is also 19, and when he started using downloads other than iTunes, I was sunk for ideas!  For Christmas, DH and I resorted to armloads of cozy, lined plaid flannel shirts.  They actually went over much better than we thought they would.

This is worth thinking about. I'm picking up dh to take him shopping for some new pants, so he and I can talk about it some more.

Happy Birthday to your DS!

Thank you. :)

Originally Posted by 34me 

What about something like this http://www.amazon.com/Amazing-Spider-Man-Complete-Comic-Collection/dp/B000HKIM7Q/ref=cm_lmf_tit_8

My dh is waaay into Spiderman and has it, loves it.  You can carry it with you :-)

Yes - this would be perfect, except we gave it to him a couple of years ago. :)

But, thanks for reminding me. Maybe we'll get him a couple of the others (X-Men, Iron Man, etc.).

hmm....maybe I should hint for one for my birthday. DS1 inherits his super-hero thing from me, after all.

For my dd's 18th we got her tix to the touring company of Wicked...

Yes. I think the tickets thing is a great idea, and I have NO idea why I didn't think of it. We may be getting him a ticket for a concert, anyway (Iron Maiden), but he'd be going with us. Theatre tickets, or a gift card, for him and his girlfriend would be brilliant!! Thank you 34me, JenMuise & whatsnextmom. I may not get this, but it's a great idea, and one that would work for him.

His schedule is so insane. I go somewhat nuts even keeping track. He has after school rehearsals every weeknight (they wind up at 10:00 most nights) until late April, and he usually works on both Saturday and Sunday. He spends Friday nights with his girlfriend. It makes so many other great ideas (eg. the "date with mom" or lessons or whatever) so impractical.

And, Cyllya, I love the gift card to an art store idea. He'd like it, but he really prefers non cash/gift card gifts from us, so I'd like to find something else.

Thank you all so much. I can always count on MDC for good ideas for this kind of thing. I have no idea why I wouldn't have thought of tickets, but I wouldn't have. I wouldn't have thought of a mom date (which I absolutely am putting in reserve) or accessories or any of these. I think I've been stuck in a rut of art supplies, juggling gear or electronics for a long time.

[ollyoxenfree]

Just wanted to commiserate. We had the same challenge. Last year, for his 18th, we bought him tickets to see a favourite band and he had a great time. This year, believe it or not, he got a deluxe Lego Star Wars set because we were otherwise stumped and we knew that he wanted it but he would never get it for himself. It didn't quite seem special enough though. I'm keeping my eyes open for other opportunities to get him something special, even if it isn't connected directly with his birthday. He's talking about moving out into his own apartment soon, so there will likely be something that comes up then.  

If DS liked to wear a watch or other jewelry, I would have considered something along those lines.

Happy Birthday to your DS!  

[Jen Muise]

idk if he has a car or not, but there's not too many guys with cars that I know who wouldn't love something for their car. 

[Storm Bride]

We still haven't bought it - we really need to settle on something. (We've been bad this year - he got his grad gift on Boxing Day, and grad was in mid-June!)

That's a good thought, Jen, but he doesn't have a car. He doesn't even have a license yet.

[Jen Muise]

What about a basic toolbox, stuff he's likely to need around the house or to work on his car when he gets one?

[sewchris2642]

Tickets to a play (do you have Shakespeare Festivals near you?).  The Met broadcasts some of their operas at selected movie theaters if he is into opera.

Tickets to a comic book or gaming convention.  We gave Angela tickets for ComiCon every year for at least 10 years. 

Take him to an artist's showing at a local gallery.

Erica and Angela loved gift certificates to art supplies stores so they could get the expensive supplies that they couldn't afford on their own and I have no clue what to buy.  Sewing supplies, yes; art supplies, no.

[jdsf]

I don't have boys but a friend of mine has a senior in high school with similar interests, and she was similarly stumped for Christmas ideas. She got him a nice, fitted leather motorcycle jacket and he loves it. Something along those lines might be good, you know, something nice he would never think to buy himself or spend a lot of money on but would appreciate having? Maybe a cool pair of Frye boots or whatever shoes he's into? I got a monogrammed silver money clip for my 21st birthday (my first "adult" birthday ;) and I still cherish it. Something grown up but still cool/useful?

[sweet]

Check out these woodworking plans, http://www.jobitfwd.com/ only problem will be the added cost of buying him the wood he needs.

[Storm Bride]

So...just thought I'd update. We got ds1's gift two months after his birthday, because we just couldn't find anything that worked. While I was looking at my options for circus classes for dd1 and ds2, I happened to comment on an adult course in aerial silks, and ds1 was very excited about it. So, I asked if he wanted that for his birthday. It was only five classes, but he started last week, and had a great time. I think I may stick with things like this for the next couple of years.