Angel Tree gift advice needed.

[sksjasams]

BMX bike wheels, custom rims and another expensive part.

Bummer...that is a terrible list. Too bad they don't work with the kids to come up with a list of realistic items they would really want.

 

[SLP958]

BMX bike wheels, custom rims and another expensive part.

Are you joking? An adult should have helped him come up with more realistic ideas.

 

[Keli]

Lists like this are why so many adults go towards little children when picking someone on the angel tree.
There's no way to help this kid out at Christmas unless you've got a lot of extra coin to spend at the holidays because his wants all cost more than the average donation budget. It's much easier with a child under 10 years old.

 

[Granny square]

I agree. Teens are expensive. It is what it is. I always pick a teen because we always had a hard time getting donations.

 

[luvsJack]

Are you joking? An adult should have helped him come up with more realistic ideas.

Especially since there is a $75 limit. Maybe they could have clued the kid in so he could have chosen things within the limit.

I would go with non-Beat headphones, good quality within the budget.

 

[SMD]

Believe me, if I had a choice, I would have picked a girl. If she had an unreasonable list, she'd be getting a Rainbow Loom and a $55 jacket from the best designer name Marshall's or Ross had to offer.

Last year we adopted 2 kids and everyone gave $10. Because some people said they'd rather buy items than give money, this year's coordinator decided we'd all be pre-assigned a kid. I especially do not appreciate the 7.5x increase in my donation obligation. Most of our employees make $10/hr or less, so it's not like their kids are getting expensive gifts either. The company has now said they will match $50 for anyone who spends at least the $75 limit if we bring in our receipts by this Thursday. But next year, I want to go back to $10. I give to other organizations, and even $25 eats into what I can give elsewhere.

 

[disneychrista]

\]We bought them on Black Friday and they were $135 and $90 respectively.

When did head phones become so expensive? I wouldn't pay more than $10 for a pair. No way would I spend $100 on pair.

 

[sksjasams]

When did head phones become so expensive? I wouldn't pay more than $10 for a pair. No way would I spend $100 on pair.

DS15 and I just had a conversation about this when he said he wanted a better pair of ear buds....so he can wrap them around his iPod and shove them in the front pocket of his jeans?

 

[descovy]

I think in this instance, the kids say "Beats" like you and I might say "Kleenex" for Facial Tissue, "Keds" for canvas shoes, or "Jello" for gelatin.

Yes a middle class kid might ask for only the name brand, but in this instance go with the skull candy.

He just means over the head earphones.

My 8th grade GS troop likes to get gifts (like angel tree, but through our county CPS office) This year we did a 13 yo boy. My 13 yo girls had some great ideas!

We spent $85 (no clothing sizes) We got him a Coby mp3 touch player for $40 (like a generic iPod touch) Skull Candy over the ear phones $20, a Google Play card for music $10, and some Nike Tube socks (all the rage with boys at my girls' school for $15) Altogether it is a really nice set of gifts.

Just remember... "Beats" = "Kleenex" A name brand way of describing a generic item.

 

[luvsJack]

When did head phones become so expensive? I wouldn't pay more than $10 for a pair. No way would I spend $100 on pair.

Not sure but after listening to dd's Beats (her bf gave them to her, I didn't pay for them), they are definitely a great pair of headphones.

Not so sure about the material they are made of though, most of the kids' are broken in some way.

 

[ksjayhawks]

Just remember... "Beats" = "Kleenex" A name brand way of describing a generic item.

I am not sure this is true in this case. I teach that age kids and when they say BEATS they mean BEATS, not regular headphones. So, I wouldn't get different headphones.

I would get a hoodie and a matching beanie and be done. A coat, hoodie, beanie make a nice gift.

 

[luvmy3]

I think in this instance, the kids say "Beats" like you and I might say "Kleenex" for Facial Tissue, "Keds" for canvas shoes, or "Jello" for gelatin.

Yes a middle class kid might ask for only the name brand, but in this instance go with the skull candy.

He just means over the head earphones.


Just remember... "Beats" = "Kleenex" A name brand way of describing a generic item.

So because this kid is lower class he wouldn't be asking for a name brand?
He asked for Beats for a reason, they are what is in in that age range, and it doesn't matter what class someone is from in this instance.

The generic term in this case is headphones.

 

[bellebud]

It's "Beats" the kid wants. My 5th grade niece wants "Beats" for Christmas (not Skullcandy, not any other headphones, only Beats). It's the in thing to have.

OP - If I were you, I'd probably go w/ the jacket, hoodie thing (not a cheaper pair of headphones).

 

[cfriend416]

Amazon has some decent prices on Skullcandy Hesh and Hesh 2 right now. In my opinion, they look a lot cooler than the Beats. But I know what's "cool" about Beats is the name, not how they look. But anyway, if it were me, I'd get the Skullcandy Hesh 2 and be done with it. While other posters have said he probably wants Beats or nothing, I disagree. Kids know how expensive Beats are, and while it's possible that he has unrealistic expectations about what a kindly stranger will spend on him, I think it's more likely that he knows no on is going to buy him $150+ headphones.

On a different note, I think it's ridiculous how your work is forcing you into participating. I like how my work does it - someone takes all the wishlists and makes ornaments with a single item on them, or groups of items if they are small, cheap things. Everyone chooses an ornament and sets their own price limit. I also think it's ridiculous that no one proofread your kid's list to make it seem a little more reasonable...

 

[SLP958]

So because this kid is lower class he wouldn't be asking for a name brand?
He asked for Beats for a reason, they are what is in in that age range, and it doesn't matter what class someone is from in this instance.

The generic term in this case is headphones.

I think this poster is suggesting that such expensive gifts are not appropriate to be requested from an angel tree.
May people buying for angel trees can afford the items he requested for their own families.
Again, some adult should have assisted this boy in making his list.

 

[lauradis]

Amazon has some decent prices on Skullcandy Hesh and Hesh 2 right now. In my opinion, they look a lot cooler than the Beats. But I know what's "cool" about Beats is the name, not how they look. But anyway, if it were me, I'd get the Skullcandy Hesh 2 and be done with it. While other posters have said he probably wants Beats or nothing, I disagree. Kids know how expensive Beats are, and while it's possible that he has unrealistic expectations about what a kindly stranger will spend on him, I think it's more likely that he knows no on is going to buy him $150+ headphones.

On a different note, I think it's ridiculous how your work is forcing you into participating. I like how my work does it - someone takes all the wishlists and makes ornaments with a single item on them, or groups of items if they are small, cheap things. Everyone chooses an ornament and sets their own price limit. I also think it's ridiculous that no one proofread your kid's list to make it seem a little more reasonable...

I'm sorry but wish lists aka Christmas wish list should be grown up reality.

Why should tree angel kids lower their expectation? So they still don't get what they wish for? This just doesn't make sense to me, sorry.

Op if you can afford it buy them if not see if you can get really good head phones for your limit.

 

[meajuly5]

I did wish wrists through a few organizations this year. One organization list were very simple-- warm clothes with sizes provided, cleaning supplies etc and some very simple wants-- puzzles, art supplies etc. the " dream items" were Barbies and Legos. It was nice bc they Added a few hobbies etc so it was easier to fulfill the "needs", get the "wants" and add a few extras.

The other local organization had a few specific needs and wants-- very specific like "nike basketball shoes, mongoose bike, iPad, iPod, ps4". Not much in the middle. The social worker added a paragraph indication that there was no expectation to follow the list. A few people joined in to divide the list to answer the needs and get one of the wants per person.

It's hard-- a child likely doesn't known where the stuff is coming from. Terms might be dreaming big without an expectation of really getting it but hoping that they will... Of they are asked to fill a wish list, they are likely going to put what they wish for.

It would be nice of there were a few items that were more manageable. Can you go in with others at work for the item and therefore stay within budget?

 

[disneychrista]

I'm sorry but wish lists aka Christmas wish list should be grown up reality.
Why should tree angel kids lower their expectation? So they still don't get what they wish for? This just doesn't make sense to me, sorry.

I think a 13yo should have a REALISTIC Christmas list. They most likely KNOW that a complete stranger is buying these things. They may also have an unrealistic idea on just what those buying can afford. They may think "Oh those rich folks can afford these things."

 

[Southernmiss]

13 year olds are plenty old enough to know what things cost. My kids know that they are not getting the expensive items on their lists.

There was a lady who called our church looking for Christmas help for her 8 year old. A family from the church called her to see how they could help. When the mom named expensive i Pads and tablets the family had to politely say 'Sorry we are not even able to do that for our own kids.'

 

[cfriend416]

I'm sorry but wish lists aka Christmas wish list should be grown up reality.

Why should tree angel kids lower their expectation? So they still don't get what they wish for? This just doesn't make sense to me, sorry.

Op if you can afford it buy them if not see if you can get really good head phones for your limit.

We'll agree to disagree. I think that when a child knows their present is a charitable donation, they should most definitely lower their expectations. Asking for multiple gifts in the $100+ range from a charity is like going out to lunch with a friend and ordering the most expensive thing on the menu because the friend offered to pay. It's ungracious.

Now to be fair, that's something that kids need to learn and cannot be faulted if they don't understand. I'm not trying to disparage a needy kid. That's why I said an adult should have helped with the list and edited "Beats" to "over-the-ear headphones." That leaves the price-range up to the sponsor and doesn't make it look like they are supposed to spend hundreds of dollars on the child.