Has anyone bought an 18 year old a successful present?

[Hitchington]

A Wetherspoon's gift voucher.
https://www.jdwetherspoon.com/gift-cards

 

[Sandra6]

My three all got watches. Nothing flash, but decent quality. They're all still on the go.
Daughter turns 21 this month and we've bought her a compact mirror with 21 engraved on it as a small token gift that she can keep - or not - as she wishes. We're skint so no big gestures.

 

[lutonloony]

Not sure it's much use as an idea, but I got spanners for my 18th, still got em

 

[swee'pea99]

Thanks very much for all suggestions. Driving lessons are a possibility, definitely, tho' a car is way over budget. A weekend in Prague would be my preferred option, if it weren't for the fact that she's already booked for a month's interrailing round Europe after her exams. Bouncy castle? Brilliant! But we think she & her friends are probably too cool for school and for bouncy castles. And really she has all the technology she needs, and hardly ever uses the watch she has, so that probably rules that out. I think I'm going to forget the whole thing and just get myself a Wetherspoons voucher - cheers!

 

[swee'pea99]

Seriously tho', thanks a lot for the suggestions - it's much appreciated. Boringly, I suspect we're going to end up just giving her a wedge towards her interrailing trip. Goes against the grain for me, but my wife, more practical than me, reckons it's what she'd actually want 'And that's what matters'. Boringly, she's probably right. As per....

 

[swee'pea99]

[QUOTE 4761831, member: 76"]Does she have an interrailing plan of action? Maybe 'ambush' her with a really nice hotel stay in one of the cities halfway through? It would be nice to have a nice day-off from hostels and cheap hotels after a couple of weeks, complete with nice bath and dressing gown.

**quick edit just to be clear, you just book her a nice hotel, you don't go along as well [/QUOTE]
That's a great idea, but unfortunately I think her plans are pretty fluid, to say the least.

 

[Globalti]

GtiJ was 18 last month and I bought him a Gopro, which he's been testing this afternoon. I'm looking forward to seeing the first gritty Rapha-style video of us riding grim-faced in Lancashire rain, must shave my legs and grow some stubble.

 

[ColinJ]

GtiJ was 18 last month and I bought him a Gopro, which he's been testing this afternoon. I'm looking forward to seeing the first gritty Rapha-style video of us riding grim-faced in Lancashire rain, must shave my legs and grow some stubble.

That's a great present!

I'd like to own a GoPro but I can't really justify buying one when I already have 3 or 4 other devices which I can use for recording video clips. The problem is that none of those devices are as rugged as a GoPro or have so many mounting options.

 

[Globalti]

He's already discovered that he can wifi it to his iPhone, meaning we can set it up before starting to record. Teenagers, eh?

 

[keithmac]

Definitely driving lessons, even if you don't currently have a car a deiving licence is a massive plus point when job hunting etc.

My dad bought me them for my 20th and altough I wasn't that into driving at the time it's been a godsend since having a driving licence.

 

[redvision95]

+1 for driving lessons.

Mum paid for me to go on an intensive driving course for one of my birthdays. Just having a driving license has opened up more opportunities career/job wise. Once you've got it, it's for life (as long as your not a tit and loose it) and will always be appreciated.

 

[MarkF]

My youngest son (at college) was 18 last year, I paid for him to go to Magaluf on holiday with his pals (working), best present he ever had.

 

[HarryTheDog]

OP's daughter does not have a license but we bought my daughter car drifting lessons, run by 2 retired police instructors for her 18th. She really enjoyed it and was so good she was allowed out on her own at the end which was apparently very unusual. They also covered braking on slippy surfaces etc
For her 21st ( next couple of months) we intend booking the velocity zip wire at zip world in Wales, She mentioned some time ago about wanting to do it. She is a bit of a adreneline junkie. ( likes sking, already done sky diving, I didn't pay for either thankfully )

My sons 18th and 21st were just money towards his passion at the time which was motorbikes. Both bikes turned out to be crap.

 

[Nibor]

My parents bought me a pair of west German Zeiss pocket sized binoculars they are still as lovely as the day I got them.

 

[Globalti]

If we're talking about what our parents gave US for our 18th birthdays, mine gave me a lovely Point Five Zero down-filled sleeping bag. I've had it for 43 years and still occasionally use it; the down is a bit clumped up but it's still nice and cosy in dry conditions. I've enjoyed hundreds and hundreds of warm cosy nights in that bag so it was definitely a successful present.