by Hope
Princess is 2 weeks from high school graduation and just a few days from her 17th birthday. I’m flying out to bring my mom here tomorrow. And my dad will be driving in after I leave with my mom.
She is going to stay with us for several weeks which we are super excited about and will hopefully give my dad and siblings a break from their day to day care-taking duties.
But back to the matter at hand…17th birthday in less than a two week span. And we all have no idea what to get her. We are thinking gift cards to Walmart and fast food places for her to use over the summer and when she’s off at college.
Any parents of college students with some first year guidance on what she might need?
And Princess even said she’s breaking family tradition and doesn’t want a family birthday dinner (yeah, money saved for me!) but sad that we are coming to the end of an era. She might change her mind, but I figured on the cusp of independent living she gets to make this decision.
So if you have any tips or tricks for families moving kids into dorms this fall, let me know. I’ve already been told to buy the large IKEA blue bags for packing and moving. Dorm essentials are good birthday presents, right?
Hope is a creative, solutions-focused business manager helping clients grow their business and work more efficiently by leveraging expertise in project management, digital marketing, & tech solutions. She’s recently become an empty nester as her 5 foster/adoptive kids have spread their wings. She lives with her 5 dogs in a small town in NE Georgia and prefers the mountains to the beaches any day. She struggles with the travel bug and is doing her best to help each of her kids as their finish schooling and become independent (but it’s hard!) She has run her own consulting company for almost twenty years! Hope began sharing her journey with the BAD community in the Spring of 2015 and feels like she has finally in a place to really focus on making wise financial decisions.
I always get portable chargers (Anker is a good brand) for keeping phones and other electronics juiced.
Maybe a nice picnic style blanket for hanging out on campus lawns.
Depending on the weather where she’s going, maybe some updated outdoor gear. We got nice rainboots for a child going to school in Houston.
You can also get gift cards for the student stores usually, which helps for books, t-shirts, and classroom supplies.
for peeps going off to college, we do an “emergency” kit that’s always well received: a plastic tub that fits under the bed with roll of tp, pair of underwear and socks, ramen packages, granola bars, girly things (just don’t get the scented ones! the food takes on the taste if stored together), tape, pencils, Pocket Reference by Thomas Glover, condoms (those are always funny, especially when they are work colleagues – fun to make them blush, lol), quarters for laundry, etc.
If Princess is turning 17 how or why did she have two passengers in the car when she had an accident? I think in Georgia that is against the law? There is a reason for a law. Obviously the police weren’t involved. Not smart.
You are right. But police were involved. No ticket and I asked. They gave her a warning. I think they looked at the date and realized she was just a month from being 17 and had no citations, etc.
Can she have a mini fridge?? Indispensable!
That was my thought, but dorms are really different now. She is sharing a 2 in 1 with a local girl. They will each have their own bedroom, share a bathroom and share a common area which is evidently stocked with many “kitchen” items. So will have to wait to see if she will need a fridge. It’s not been on her list.
Is she going to be living in the dorms or away from home? If so, something she might need there. Gift cards to Wal Mart are good too.
Yes, Princess will be living in the dorm. Moving in August, it’s going to come way too fast!
I have no idea what teenages wants, but i think is cute to receive a nice pen, a nice modern schoolbag, maybe some nice t-shits/blouses, a watch.
3 of my 4 have started or finished college already. Good robe (short), set of monogrammed towels (helps keep track), sheets, mattress pad and topper for dorm bed (usually Twin XL), Keurig (if allowed), soft sided hamper (like a big bag she can carry up and down), bathroom caddy (depending on dorm bathroom set up), shower shoes (A MUST), snack box (cute box-think Home Edit style) filled with her favorite granola bars, teas, candy, gum. Monogrammed Yeti water bottle, gift card to college book store, good headphones, good back pack.
Great suggestions, thank you!
Fist of all who in The world is going to take care of your Mother while you work. I have finally reached the point that you lie and omit so much stuff it’s a joke to read your posts.
For the two days that the kids are in school, she will be here with me. She can sit in the recliner, 3 feet from my desk, and watch TV or do anything else she wants. And I will be able to get up to assist her with anything she might need. I’ve already let my team know that I would be limiting calls on those days. Really a no brainer. No sure what’s a joke about that.
School graduations are important in my family so, we make sure we give personal gifts rather than practical gifts. I still have my watch my parents gave me. I cannot wear it anymore because it doesn’t fit me. I still take it out of my sentimental knick knack box from time to time and think about my parents.
Tell Princess Congrats and Happy Birthday. However, Hope, I suspect many of us are lost on what to tell you. You went off the radar and then came back to tell us you’re buying a house(without any details on terms or pricing) you financed a private loan for a car(you were actually fairly thorough on the financial aspect of that) and subsequently had to deal with 3 car wrecks(we’re all guessing who the VW belongs to at this point since you didn’t actually answer anyone who asked who it belonged to in conments asking about it ) and now based on this post I am guessing Princess has chosen her school- and this, by the way, all occurred without any real financial updates. It’s a lot to take in.
My suggestion is start from the beginning and give us a financial update and provide more details(or don’t post about these things if it’s a privacy issue for you and details are a problem.)
Why are comments not posting?
It takes too long to approve comments. Really limits the discussion.