H.S. Graduation gift suggestion for the spoiled brat who has everything

In My Humble Opinion
21

Give her some responsibility!

I can’t find a cite, but here’s the gist of what I read about an alternative method of financing a college education. The concept is that you BUY a house (four or more bedrooms) in the college town, put your kid there rent free, cover the mortgage with rent from other students, and sell it after graduation. If the market is right, it will not only pay for college, but turn a profit.

Make her into a property manager/landlord. Work out a scheme to pay her some of the profits of the sale if she keeps the place well maintained, AND collects the rent from the other students.

Maybe a little far afield…

22

Martial arts classes. A multitool. Or one of the other suggestions that people have put forth, with one notable exception, which I will deal with in my next post.

23

Hmmmm, someone got to him first. Oh well.

24

If you decide to get her something like a microwave or a toaster over, check with the college first to make sure dorm rules allow it. My college doesn’t allow toasters, toaster ovens, or microwaves in the dorm rooms. We have those in the lounge.

25

A big presentation Bible. Fill your face with a beatific smile and fill her with guilt about how she’ll be able to pass it down to her children. You’ll have to bracket the gift with a couple weeks of going to church to make it look like you mean it but it would be worth it for the look on her face when she’s expecting a car or trip or, at least, a refrigerator.

26

Tool kit, great idea. Put a Leatherman in it!

Howabout one of those books that tells you how to do all the stuff you have no clue how to do when you start living on your own? What appliances you do and don’t need, simple meals, basic home repair, how to deal with a landlord, all that stuff.

(I could have used one–I got very very sick, because I had been living on bagels and frozen peas, pretty much, and had no actual nutrition!)

27

This might work with the second daughter - she is a self professed pagan. More than likely, she would assume I had started smoking crack.

The graduate, however, is a staunch Baptist no matter what I do.:smiley:
genie You got sick on a diet of bagels and peas? Try Stove Top Stuffing next time. Kept me alive and well for almost 2 months.

28

Lyl, I think might need to recalibrate your sarcasm detector re: dropzone’s post. Sounds to me like he/she just wanted you to enjoy the look of utter bewilderment it would have produced.

Comic Book Guy-- “Oh wow, a sarcasm detector. Now THERE’S a really useful invention!”

29

I find that the perfect gift for any “spoiled brat that has everything” is a good swift kick in the ass. This isn’t just for graduations either. You can give this gift at any and all gift giving occasions and sometimes just for the fun of it.

30

I need to re-calibrate my sarcasm detector! Well there’s a fine how-de-do! I, who was speaking sarcasmonia before you were even out of diapers. Pffffff - I scoff at your suggestion. To even imagine that I would not know sarcasm when confronted with it, is to laugh. I was raised on sarcasm, my children cut their teeth on the hard edge of my sarcasm! How dare y…ok.

31

How on earth does anyone manage to get a car without having a driver’s license?

Second, if she really is a spoiled brat, just give her a card. Her college classmates will thank you :wink:

32

Gosh, I can’t imagine why she’s scared of driving. :rolleyes:

Get her professional driving lessons. They aren’t expensive and it’ll calm her fears of driving. Parents should NEVER be their children’s primary driving instructors (although giving them the chance to practice at every opportunity is a good idea.) If you try to teach your kids to drive you’ll just teach them all your bad habits. Let a professional do it.

If she won’t drive, sell her car.

33

Here is a great book that has all the basics:

Making A Home

This might not be a great graduation gift per se, but definitely a great book for starting out in college or in her first apt/house.

34

I’m don’t understand why you describe her as spoiled. You say she paid for her own trip, doesn’t wear a lot of jewelry or expensive clothes, is living on campus (rather than demanding an apartment), and so forth. This is spoiled?

35

You may want to send her to this driving school.

That should cure her.

36

I thought the same thing.

Driving lessons sound like a good idea. Driving with my parents used to make me very nervous (in fact it still does), but instructors are used to dealing with scared kids.

37

In most countries professional lessons are a requirement before they’ll grant a license.

Does she have a computer? Is it a good one? Does it have Word, Powerpoint, Excel, and Photoshop? Does it have XP? Her college will have proprietary software, both for online and regular courses, and more and more of it isn’t compatible with Win95 anymore. Some isn’t even compatible with 98. She will need a fairly modern computer with all the stuff I mentioned, and a reliable printer.

Quite frankly, I think she’ll be miserable if she doesn’t drive.

Don’t worry about kitchenware. After a few months the only kitchen utensils she’ll be using are a keg and tap. Just kidding :wink:

Get her a me, too. Teenage girls all love me.

38

When I went to university, my parents surprised me with a big portfolio for my drawings. It’s been twenty years and I still have it… :slight_smile:

Backpack–very good idea, if she doesn’t already have it.

Does she like to travel? If so, offer a lifetime membership in Hostelling International. When I got mine, it was only several hundred dollars. She’ll be able to stay cheaply in cities all over the world for the rest of her life.

Does she like listening to music, and use a music system larger than a portable? If so, a really good pair of headphones is a good idea for use in her room. Get the kind that fit over the ear and block out sound, not earbuds. They will prevent her from having to drive others crazy with her music, and from being driven crazy by others’ music when she needs to study. Make sure they have a long cord too, or are wireless. Earbuds are too transparent to sound for this to work; they’re intended for mobile use where you have to hear your surroundings more.

This thread has lots of useful info and can be combed for ideas: Getting My First Apartment.

39

Congrats on your daughter’s pending graduation, Lyllyann!

Another vote from me on the driving lessons. Be sure to check with your car insurance company first, though. Oftentimes they will offer you a pretty nice discount if you follow their rules for the lessons.

I would hold off on buying any sort of appliances, especially refrigerators, microwaves, etc. Most dorms have some sort of a limit on size (if they allow them at all). If you give the school’s Resident Life department a call, they’ll be more than happy to help you with any questions you might have.

One item that hasn’t been recommended yet is a foam egg crate for her bed. Again, check with res life for the bed size. Many dorms mattresses are twin extra long (same width as a twin bed, but a little longer to allow for the longer legs). This most likely wouldn’t affect an egg crate, but would definitely make buying sheets more difficult. While I’m on the topic, a set or two of good sheets is a must. I personally recommend Jersey T or T-Shirt material. It feels like something between flannel and conventional cotton sheets.

This isn’t so much a graduation gift, but would be more appropriate for soon before your daughter leaves…quarters - lots of them. When doing laundry in a dorm, quarters become the equivilant of gold.

A good bathrobe - essential for that long walk from the bathroom to her room. Also, flip flops are a must for the communal shower stalls. They tend not to be cleaned nearly often enough and who knows what people have on their feet in there.

Loads of disposable plastic ware, plates, napkins, tissues, etc. is always a safe bet. No one wants to schlep down the hall to wash a spoon.

If I think of anything else, I’ll be sure to post here. Keep us updated on how she likes her gifts.

DoperChic

40

All kids graduating from high school need a very nice set of luggage.

Buy her the best you can afford with the most pieces. Unless she travels for a living when she’s older, her luggage will probably last her the rest of her life if she takes care of it.