Cool Christmas Gift Ideas for Teens
Teenagers everywhere are holding their breaths this Christmas for gifts from family that aren't uncool. Let me repeat that, because teenage logic can get a bit confusing: When buying Christmas gifts for teens, one must realize that teenagers are more interested in not receiving what isn't cool than receiving what is cool.
For example, if you slip up and get your teenage girl the wrong color hat, she might run off to her bedroom crying instead of playing with her younger siblings under the Christmas tree (And all because "Britney wore this hat EIGHT months ago and it is SO TOTALLY uncool now! Like DUH!"). On the other hand, if you get your teenage boy Counterstrike 3 instead of Counterstrike 4, he'll sulk for 3 months and spend all of his time at Joey's house (Because "Joey has Counterstrike 4 and his Mom makes us buffalo wings! Like DUH!").
Long story short, trends in high school disappear faster than a freshman eating lunch too close to the seniors. Given these constraints, it's tempting just to dig into your pocket, pull out a few bills and slip them into an envelope. Yet you should resist the urge to give your teenagers money for Christmas. Besides the fact that most teens spend their money on fast food and pot, teens should learn the value of money by earning it themselves. Lest you forget this lesson, your teenager could end up working at Best Buy until he's 38 (Not that there's anything wrong with that – it's just not what most parents envision for children when they enroll them in kindergarten).
Despite these tough odds, hope still lingers that you will find great Christmas gift ideas for your teenagers this season. This is because some gift ideas for teens are evergreen. In other words, like fast food and pot, they never go out of fashion (we're not suggesting a happy meal and a joint for Christmas, even though most teenage boys would love it btw). These are the top 10 gift ideas for teens in 2009:
Top 5 Gift Ideas for Teenagers in 2009
iPhones: The Best Gift for a Teenager
As long as you buy them the right model, the iPhone is unquestionably the King of all gifts for teens. Besides their endless and endlessly entertaining apps, games and gadgetry, iPhones simply proclaim ones coolness to everyone. While they might go out of style in a few years, don't count on it. Apple has cornered the market on hip phones while Blackberry has cornered the market on professional phones. Don't expect either one to overstep its bounds any time soon.
Paintball Guns: Very Exciting Gifts for Teenage Boys
Yes, yes we hear the moans and groans from the gun control activists, but what they don't realize is how that paintballing is really fun. Since we were 3 years old, 90% of us boys have been playing out battle fantasies in our minds. This doesn't make us sociopaths, Mom – it makes us warriors at heart! We love all forms of competition, from basketball to video games to drinking — but we love nothing more than pretending we're Bruce Willis in Die Hard, fighting against Klaus, the evil German. With a paintball gun, you can live out your childhood fantasies with friends in a fairly safe way (bruises here and there, but nothing serious).
While some claim that paintballing encourages other kinds of violence, we would disagree. Paintballing allows friends to come together to play a game and compete against each other as men. It promotes camaraderie and trips to Taco Bell afterwards, if anything.
Movies that Remind Them There's Life After High School
Most teenagers hate high school. They loathe getting up at 7 am to go to World Literature, where the teacher doesn't want to be there any more than the kids. Yet they do it anyways because of the promise that high school will end someday. In late January, with midterms looming, drama with friends, and a breakup a few weeks earlier, it will be hard for them to see the light. However, there are some movies that remind teenagers that life after high school not only exists, but is much better. These flicks include P.C.U., Road Trip, Animal House, Old School, and Tommy Boy.
Snowboards & Surfboards: The Coolest Gifts for Teens
Surfing and snowboarding are awesome sports because they allow people to get completely wild in an individual way — precisely what you're not allowed to do in high school. Snowboards and surfboards make great gift ideas for teens because they help teens see that high school isn't the end-all, be-all of existence. They're expensive gifts, certainly, but they're also long-term investments. If you get a good one, you won't need another one for 10 years.
Snuggies: Even the Prom Queen needs a Snuggie every once in awhile.
If you live in one of the colder climes of North America, you are familiar with the problem of blankets that aren't quite big enough. Either your toes freeze or your ears freeze. However, the Snuggie has put all that to rest, and everyone, from sullen teenagers to grumpy old men, best recognize.
