With the holidays upon us it’s easy to fall back on the latest gadget to gift teens or young adults. And, while that isn’t necessarily a bad idea, we’d like to offer some suggestions for non-tech gifts to give. We also encourage you to challenge your kids’ tech-heavy wish list by asking them what non-electronic items they might want, or prompt siblings, grandparents, and other family members to purchase items that don’t involve a screen.

  1. Tickets – Does your daughter love musicals? Is your son’s favorite band playing in your area in the next few months? Tickets to go to an event make a great holiday gift, and create memories along the way. Even better – get tickets for the two of you (or your entire family!) to do something together.
  2. Memory book – While young children are known to love looking at pictures of themselves, older children actually do too! Think of all those posts they make on social media … and use it to your advantage. Make a printable memory book to capture the highlights of their year.
  3. Take a Trip – Whether you plan something large, like a family trip to the Bahamas, or something small scale like camping, a vacation together is a great way to make memories. You can make it extra fun by buying something to indicate where you’re going – like a new tent or sleeping bag, or snorkel gear. To make it extra fun you can add a scratch-off map to their gift pile so they can start to track all the cool places they’ve seen!
  4. Lessons – has your teen or young adult wanted to try something but you haven’t been willing to spring for the cost of the lessons? The holidays are a great time to give them 2-3 months worth of lessons to let them try something new – from horseback riding to guitar lessons – the world is theirs for the exploring!
  5. Accessories – Teens and young adults want to be unique. Have they had their eye on a certain pair of shoes? Maybe they like funky socks? A new make up kit? Or maybe they want a new accessory for their room – like a light box for messages or a framed picture of their favorite sports team’s stadium.

We hope that gift giving this holiday season makes meaningful memories with your family! If your teen or young adult child is having a hard time with the holiday season, call Tamara Ancona, MA, LPC at (678) 297-0708 for an evaluation, and to discuss the best treatment options available.