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When your children are younger and easily pleased, the likelihood of getting a present wrong is relatively slim, due to the not-so-subtle hints in every shop, excitable points at toy adverts on TV and the tradition of letters to Santa.

But, as they get older and their letters to Father Christmas are no more, finding out what they want for Christmas becomes a herculean task. With many gifts for teenagers being fairly expensive, such as video games, pieces of technology and branded clothing, getting the wrong thing can be costly, as well as disappointing.

But never fear, we have a few safe ideas even the most difficult of teenagers are bound to love.

Merchandise

Even if they won’t tell you what they’re currently a fan of, you can always do your best to deduce from what they’ve been buying themselves. Do they have posters in their room of a particular artist? Do you often see them sporting a T-Shirt relevant to a TV show?

If you have noticed that your child has been buying a lot of products with the same characters or branding, even if they don’t tell you it’s something that they’re a fan of, you can make a fairly safe assumption that they’re interested.

If you’re not sure what they already have, aim for new items released close to Christmas or even pricier items that may be outside of your child’s usual budget.

Of course, rather than guesswork, asking what merchandise they might be after may be a quicker way to find out what will brighten up their Christmas morning.

Driving Lessons

It may be low hanging fruit but learning to drive is important for a lot of young adults who really want to feel that they have their independence.

Not to mention, having a driving license as convenient ID is something anyone soon-to-be 18 would find useful before pending celebrations that require it.

As something that’s only available in the late teens, you may need something to tide them over until then but it’s never too early to find a good school! For complete beginners, Alpha Driving School offers driving lessons Heaton as well as fantastic instructors and lessons at reasonable prices – you can even buy a block of lessons and save some money on the normal hourly rate.

There’s a number of good driving schools out there and all you need to do is search “driving instructors” and your nearest city to find one. If you’re not having much luck in the county of Norfolk and are a little way out from the major towns and cities like Norwich, you could always search in a neighbouring county, searching for driving instructors in Peterborough instead could give better results.

A couple of starter lessons make a great present for those independence hungry teens or if you are feeling very generous, a whole intensive course would be an unforgettable gift.

Technology

If there is one thing that just about every teenager is interested in nowadays it’s having the latest tech – the newest phone, the newest games console, a new tablet – if you’re stuck for ideas for what to get them, having a look at which of their favourite electronics is due an upgrade is a great start!

Take a look at what console or phone model they currently have, do some research as to when new versions are usually released and whether a new model has been announced. 

Of course, if you also know they’re interested in a certain upcoming game or certain gaming franchise, that could be a good place begin your search. There are plenty of places to look future game releases, for example Games Radar keep their list of new games up-to-date and list the games for multiple formats, such as PC, PS4, Switch and Xbox.

Some teens may have specific hobbies that require pricey tech. For example, if they are a budding photographer or graphic designer, they may require specialist equipment that comes in over budget. A new lens for their DSLR or a software subscription for design programmes, can carry a huge price tag but if bought as a gift, not only are you getting them something they want, you are also investing in their hobbies and potentially their future.

Gift Cards

When in doubt, give a gift card! While there are some downsides, such as not feeling personal enough, not knowing how much to give or whether or not a single outlet gift card is too big an investment, there’s no denying that there’s still a big market for gift cards and vouchers.

Almost all businesses, including independent stores and online shops, now offer this as an option. Some come in physical card form and some in emails, the latter being perfect for last minute gifts or additional stocking fillers.

As good as this is as a present, it is a little underwhelming as a main gift. However, if you really can’t think of something or they are into something niche, such as guitarists lusting for specific pedals civilians may not know anything about, it is a safe option they are sure to appreciate.

Teenagers have a bad rep for being awkward, but there are plenty of safe easy options to ensure their Christmas is as exciting as it was when they were little!

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