Extravagant 13th birthday gift ideas (girl)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. I asked my best friend. My goddaughter wouldn’t share what she really wanted. She’s too polite.

Going into 8th grade. Has a phone. Apple gift card?

Definitely not an Apple gift card!!! I would do the shopping spree idea.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why extravagant? Don’t make her uncomfortable

As the parent of a soon to be 13 year old girl someone giving her an “extravagant” gift like hundreds of dollars to spend at Lululemon would most certainly not make her uncomfortable.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Some combo of purse/jewlery/gift card. Maybe all 3.

Like the $200 Tiffany necklace above
And a $150-200 purse from Kate spade/coach or the like
And a $100 Sephora gift card

Id be angry about this is I were mom. Please don’t encourage my 13 yr old into a materialistic basic B. What 13 yr old needs all this?

Take her to NYC for the weekend and a Broadway show

The fact that as an adult you feel comfortable with labeling a 13 year old a basic B if they would like those gifts is a way bigger problem than the gifts themselves.

[Anonymous]

I have a few daughters (not teens anymore, but not old). They would all love Lulu gift cards, but would also love a mix of cards, like $250 Lulu, $75 Sephora, $50 Chipotle, a gift card to a local manicure place (you can buy over the phone), $75 Aerie or Abercrombie (both popular with teens), etc.

[Anonymous]

+1 I would be really annoyed if my DD got a $500 mean girl kit.

What a weird, judgmental response from an adult. Lululemon, Sephora, etc. are standard brands for many teens, and there are plenty of reasonably priced items at both stores, though you may have to search harder to find them at Lululemon.

[Anonymous]

At that age my dd was into jewelry and proved she took responsibility and care for the jewelry she had. So for her bday we took her to Tiffany’s and let her find something she wanted within the price range we picked. This started a tradition. We will continue gifting jewelry for milestone birthdays.

[Anonymous]

Can the people who would be offended by Lulu gift cards please share where their daughter’s ultra classy teen girl clothing comes from?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Extravagant is tacky.

Work backwards from something meaningful to fit into budget. Some things are naturally expensive, and nice, but not extravagant, like travel or a first formal dress or (part of) first car for a driver.

Yeah OP tell her that for her 13th birthday you pledge to pay for part of her prom dress or part of a car in the next five years or so.

So, you’re not tacky.

I would be so angry if someone gave my child a gift that assumed they would be getting a car before they turned 18. That's way outside a godparent role.

I think it's so odd that we're supposed to pick a $500 present for someone knowing nothing but their gender, and people are rushing to make all sorts of weird assumptions. If I were to look at the young people in my life (children, godchildren, nieces and nephews), I could come up with a great gift for each of them at that age in that price range, but each would be different. Here are some things that each of them either got, or I would have bought if I was spending that kind of money on them.

Plane tickets to come visit us for a week in the summer and do the DC sites
High end knives, kitchenaid stand mixer, or other cooking equipment
Sporting event tickets -- Caps, Commanders, etc . . .
Sporting equipment
Tickets to see a musical on Broadway, or at the Kennedy Center, or somewhere else
A musical instrument
White water kayaking or rock climbing or ski/snowboard day trip with a couple friends
Woodworking tools
Jewelry making tools
High end art supplies
Art lessons
Camera equipment
A dolphin or shark experience at the Aquarium
A week of summer camp
A room makeover
An extravagant lego or robotics kit

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:$500 in a UTMA account, with an age appropriate book about investing. You’re the custodian, but she decides what to do with it including distributing it as cash if she wants. If she takes it all out immediately, just say yes and nothing else.

I think this is a great idea!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Extravagant is tacky.

Work backwards from something meaningful to fit into budget. Some things are naturally expensive, and nice, but not extravagant, like travel or a first formal dress or (part of) first car for a driver.

Oh, come off it. Clearly OP used that word to convey that she wants her 13 yo goddaughter to feel pampered, but within a set budget. Your suggestions are irrelevant and unhelpful, and precisely why OPs word choice helps sharpen the focus of her request.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

+1 I would be really annoyed if my DD got a $500 mean girl kit.

What a weird, judgmental response from an adult. Lululemon, Sephora, etc. are standard brands for many teens, and there are plenty of reasonably priced items at both stores, though you may have to search harder to find them at Lululemon.

So judgmental. My teen is not into those brands at all, she’s a quirky thrift store girl and so are her friends.

And I would NEVER call girls who do like those brands automatic mean girls or basic Bs. Please don’t spread this judgment to your kids, they don’t need to learn that negativity.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:$500 in a UTMA account, with an age appropriate book about investing. You’re the custodian, but she decides what to do with it including distributing it as cash if she wants. If she takes it all out immediately, just say yes and nothing else.

I think this is a great idea!

I do too!

[Anonymous]

My mom took each grandchild to NY to see a Broadway show for their 13th birthdays. They all remember it fondly and four of them got into theater in school after that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Can the people who would be offended by Lulu gift cards please share where their daughter’s ultra classy teen girl clothing comes from?

Mine has Lululemon but it’s pretty basic clothing. For something extravagant I would upgrade to a cute outfit. Alice and Olivia, Reformation, Zimmerman shorts set all have teen clothing. Something bright and colorful.

A fun weekend away is what I would choose although you’d have to up your price limit.

[Anonymous]

The problem with Lululemon is their merchandise never changes. How many hoodies and leggings can you have in the same mute colors?