# Little sister turning 30; somewhat depressed about it. Gift suggestions? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 27, 2010, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/little-sister-turning-30-somewhat-depressed-about-it-gift-suggestions/537563 "2010-04-27T21:04:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![RainGrowsBrite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ed655f/32.png) [@RainGrowsBrite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RainGrowsBrite)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2010, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/little-sister-turning-30-somewhat-depressed-about-it-gift-suggestions/537563/21 "2010-04-28T19:31:18Z")
I agree with \*\*HelloAgain \*\*in regards to the “experience gift”. I think a large part of the fear of turning 30 (for me at least) is the thought that you havent experienced or accomplished all the things you always figured you would by that age. Even if it seems ridiculous, taking her skydiving might reboot the idea that life doesnt end at any age. Granted, these types of things can be quite expensive… ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2010, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/little-sister-turning-30-somewhat-depressed-about-it-gift-suggestions/537563/22 "2010-04-28T19:58:03Z")
> [@zweisamkeit](#): > > It seems like there’s this odd invisible bubble for women that seems to start at 30 and end at probably 45. Between there, you’re not the young pretty things and you’re not at the confident “older” age. I know I’m not expressing this well, but hopefully someone will understand what I mean and say it better. 🙂 Standing from the other side, I think I know exactly what you mean. Women in their thirties largely seem to have lost the spirit of adventure and fun, but aren’t yet genuinely confident enough not to give a flying frogurt about what others think of them. As a consequence (at least in the pool of single women), they seem to tend toward uncertain, suspicious, and often resentful; and barely able to conceal it in a dating profile much less in person. The rare exception is a right pleasure, but fought over by the men who are tired of dating girls barely out of college and the naivete that comes with that. As for the o.p.: beats me. When I have to buy something for a woman, I usually bring another trustworthy female friend along for guidance. As far as I can tell, the female mind is like the Daedelus’ labyrinth. Stranger ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2010, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/little-sister-turning-30-somewhat-depressed-about-it-gift-suggestions/537563/23 "2010-04-28T22:27:04Z")
> [@Tom\_Tildrum](#): > > Gift certificate to Forever 21? Two of our sisters (both older than her, one older than me) decided years ago that they were perpetually 25. This caused a wee bit of drama when the eldest sister’s daughter naively believed her mother was the age she claimed, complained about people saying otherwise, and then, at a birthday dinner, finally did the math. She exploded in rage, having just gotten spanked for lying the day before. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2010, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/little-sister-turning-30-somewhat-depressed-about-it-gift-suggestions/537563/24 "2010-04-28T22:31:46Z")
> [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](#): > > Standing from the other side, I think I know exactly what you mean. Women in their thirties largely seem to have lost the spirit of adventure and fun, but aren’t yet genuinely confident enough not to give a flying frogurt about what others think of them. As a consequence (at least in the pool of single women), they seem to tend toward uncertain, suspicious, and often resentful; and barely able to conceal it in a dating profile much less in person. The rare exception is a right pleasure, but fought over by the men who are tired of dating girls barely out of college and the naivete that comes with that. > > As for the o.p.: beats me. When I have to buy something for a woman, I usually bring another trustworthy female friend along for guidance. As far as I can tell, the female mind is like the Daedelus’ labyrinth. > > Stranger I should take my ohter little sister with me. She has mutant gift-giving powers or something. She alwyas picks something that the recipient would never have thought to buy himself or herself, but nevertheless loves. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2010, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/little-sister-turning-30-somewhat-depressed-about-it-gift-suggestions/537563/25 "2010-04-28T22:35:31Z")
> [@Skammer](#): > > A walker? Orthodpedic shoes? Compession socks? The Clapper? I can only think of evil gifts. I taught this sister how to punch. Those would all end badly for me. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Devil\_s\_Grandmother](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/74df32/32.png) [@The\_Devil\_s\_Grandmother](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Devil_s_Grandmother)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2010, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/little-sister-turning-30-somewhat-depressed-about-it-gift-suggestions/537563/26 "2010-04-28T22:43:31Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > Two of our sisters (both older than her, one older than me) decided years ago that they were perpetually 25. This caused a wee bit of drama when the eldest sister’s daughter naively believed her mother was the age she claimed, complained about people saying otherwise, and then, at a birthday dinner, finally did the math. She exploded in rage, having just gotten spanked for lying the day before. I can only hope her mom had to deal with the clean up. I think I would have liked a nice summery dress for my 30th birthday. ---
**Author:** ![phouka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c5a1d2/32.png) [@phouka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phouka)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2010, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/little-sister-turning-30-somewhat-depressed-about-it-gift-suggestions/537563/27 "2010-04-29T04:01:25Z")
- spa day for her and a friend - jewelry with precious or semi-precious stones, if she’s into that - something adventurous like a hot air balloon flight ---
**Author:** ![SanVito](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sanvito/32/2805_2.png) [@SanVito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanVito)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2010, 7:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/little-sister-turning-30-somewhat-depressed-about-it-gift-suggestions/537563/28 "2010-04-29T07:25:53Z")
> [@zweisamkeit](#): > > I’ll say that for women, it’s partly societal; youth is prized in women. This isn’t as much of a deal for men. I’m a 28 year old woman and I have to say that even though I know, intellectually, that my 30s will probably be a better decade for me than my 20s, I’m freaking out (in an extremely mild way) at turning 30. > > It seems like there’s this odd invisible bubble for women that seems to start at 30 and end at probably 45. Between there, you’re not the young pretty things and you’re not at the confident “older” age. I know I’m not expressing this well, but hopefully someone will understand what I mean and say it better. 🙂 Oh my, trust me, you could not be more wrong. I think women are at their very best in their 30s - still young enough to do everything they did in their 20s but with more self confidence, more experience, more independence, frequently considerably more financial security, and as long as you look after yourself, I think considerably more attractiveness. I LOVED being in my 30s. I just turned 40, luckily don’t look it (so I’ve been told), still dress fashionably, don’t carry any more weight and don’t feel at all jealous of people in their twenties. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/little-sister-turning-30-somewhat-depressed-about-it-gift-suggestions/537563.md?page=1)