The Annual Gift Ideas for the Older Parents thread

[Southernmiss]

Dh and I have been married 30 years.

His dad and stepmom are the hardest people to gift.

We've given a wide variety of things through the years.

Dh's dad's bday is also Dec 1.

Let's list our ideas and see if we can help each other.

My own mom is easy. I've got her bday and Christmas gifts in mind already.

I'll get my mom 2 blouses for her bday Dec 7. She hates to shop and it's been my go to for Mother's Day and Christmas these last 2 years.

For Christmas my siblings and I are getting her a 20 piece Legacybox to transfer her 8mm films and slides to. Will probably be able to do this again for the rest of her films, slides and pictures.

Last year we got Fil a giftcard to a local restaurant and a Chesapeake Bay crabcakes shipment. He's gotten sports team shirts and hats before, Lowes and Home Depot gift cards, nuts, pretzels, coin collecting scrapbooks and value guides...

For MIL we have gotten her a department store giftcard and fancy Xmas decorations, framed family pictures...

My grandmother loved receiving a roll of stamps and return address labels I printed on my computer.

 

[Ellie008]

We have taken to doing experience gifts for the in-laws. Tickets to a dinner theater, a play, a sporting event, etc.

For my own parents, I am doing a new GPS. They do a decent amount of long distance driving, and don't have smartphones.

 

[Lvsdisney]

At this point I try to give the parents consumables. Ideas in the past: Omaha Steaks, GCs to movie and a dinner, GC to spa treatments, tickets to events. Both our parents need nothing and (this sounds morbid, but it's the truth) I don't want to give the something I'm going to have to donate/sell in the next 10-20 years.

 

[Southernmiss]

I've just remembered that a Riverboat sunset dinner cruise opened here this year.

Think we'll do a gift card for them for that.

One down 2 gifts to go!

Update 120718: we did give FIL a gift card to the riverboat cruise for his birthday and an offer that we would join them. They liked it a lot and told us to pick a date.

Still no ideas for Christmas.

After this post, we went out and found beautiful jewelry for mil, black onyx sterling necklace, bracelet and earrings. Her nice jewelry was stolen this summer.

Got a start on fil with a large throw pillow in his NFL team colors. Need another couple of items, maybe a dri fit polo in his sports team and gift card for dinner.

 

[afan]

At this point I try to give the parents consumables. Ideas in the past: Omaha Steaks, GCs to movie and a dinner, GC to spa treatments, tickets to events. Both our parents need nothing and (this sounds morbid, but it's the truth) I don't want to give the something I'm going to have to donate/sell in the next 10-20 years.

It's not morbid, it's honest. I do the same thing, especially with Christmas decorations. I used to buy stuff I knew she'd like whether I did or not. Now I buy stuff I know she'll like but I will too. Otherwise I try and do like the PP and buy stuff we can go do, stuff she wouldn't buy for herself or stuff she hasn't gotten around to getting/finding that I know she wants. Last year I got her a wheelbarrel and then promptly forgot about it after moving it to our shed from the neighbor's house. Luckily she found it on the 26th when she was putting decorations away and texted me. That's what I get for not having something in the house for it.

 

[barkley]

the later years in my mom's life i got her the one thing i knew she REALLY enjoyed (not that she would admit it) and would never buy-TABLOIDS. she would devour them at the hairdressers, doctors...but buy one herself? nope, it was always the ones that were months old before she got to enjoy them at someone else's expense. year one we did a subscription to the national enquirer then added a year of people the next. she totally enjoyed them and they didn't add to all the stuff she already had that she didn't use (she was not one for going out so gift cards/experiences didn't work).

 

[a1tinkfans]

I typically buy my dad clothes/Reebok’s/food/snack stuff.
He visited me recently and loved my Roomba... I may do that this year instead

or Omaha steak meals and a few items of clothing.
Sadly, My mil passed recently

And my mom passed years back
Way too soon

 

[havaneselover]

My mom is fairly easy—decent polarized sunglasses (she loses them regularly so always can use another pair), something not too expensive from David yurman, Talbots gift cards, etc.

My dad is a nightmare. Hits have been baseball memorabilia and tickets to see Bob Newhart in Naples, FL where they live.

They are both 75 and need to go from two large homes to one so we (siblings and I) are running out of ideas. We used to do steaks, lobster tails, etc. but they don’t eat rich food anymore (and dad basically eats nothing—lives on scotch and Diet Coke—separately).

 

[TwoMisfits]

This year, for my "tough to buy in-laws", I'm going to send them food gifts from restaurants we've traveled to. Since they don't travel anymore, I figured they'd like to try what we've had (aka "the signature" items) from some places. They also don't want us to spend anything on them, so it hits the happy medium of small, but thought out, gift.

Since we did the Smoky's last year, we're gonna send some homemade apple butter and corn bread mix from one of the restaurants we visited...just waiting to see if they have a sale for Black Friday before I send it...

 

[bearzabout]

What about annual memberships to a garden or museum? We get the ones with reciprocal privileges that allow access to other locations throughout the US.

Large puzzles that you can work on together as a family or homemade apple pie filling or applesauce.

Small portable tire inflators was that are left in the trunk or medical alert systems that are transportable can be life savers.

Passes to zoos, movie theaters or special events.

We just love our new air fryer. It makes heating so many food items fast and easy.

 

[halfpintpeggy]

I've found that the one thing our older parents value the most is time spent together, with us, as a family. This year, we're getting season memberships to a local-ish dinner theater. We'll all go to have the meals & see the shows TOGETHER! And since the memberships are for the 2019 season, that means a guaranteed afternoon or night out just about every month, something fun to look forward to throughout the year. <3

 

[Grumpy's Gal]

We have always gone to the cable company and paid their cable bill for the year. ( we split the cost with my sibling)

 

[Grumpy's Gal]

At this point I try to give the parents consumables. Ideas in the past: Omaha Steaks, GCs to movie and a dinner, GC to spa treatments, tickets to events. Both our parents need nothing and (this sounds morbid, but it's the truth) I don't want to give the something I'm going to have to donate/sell in the next 10-20 years.

It’s not morbid!

I told my mom last year, if she wanted to give us a gift, it had to be something she had stored away in her house.

 

[Hikergirl]

Gourmet meals delivered.
I like to go with consumables but splurge on something they wouldn't get for themselves. They buy what they need, and they don't really want any more stuff to clutter their houses.
I am thinking of something a little different for my FIL and his wife this year but I have to run it by dh because it will involve us too (and food LOL).

 

[mom2rose&john]

I gift a housecleaning service to do the heavy spring and fall cleaning and a carpet cleaning. As with most older (elderly) parents, they do not have the energy or mobility and seem to really appreciate it.

Edited to add: For their birthdays I will pay for their cable and other utilities and also take them to dinner. They have limited income and refuse to allow me to pay for their necessities but will accept them as gifts at their birthday.

 

[fifthdimensiondweller]

My mom's in her sixties and about to retire, so not quite an "older" parent but approaching that time in her life when she needs to downsize. I have a one year old and he's her first grandchild, so this year she's getting a Christmas Ornament with a picture of them on it and a jar of some of her favorite candy. She also has a birthday coming so I got her a notebook to keep scores at her monthly game night with friends with pics of DS on the cover and the Monopoly deal card game to play there. Mostly for her though I really just do consumables or pics of DS.

My grandmother, who is in her 80s and in declining health, will be getting a framed photo of DS and some of her favorite sweets. She lives in a tiny "apartment" in my mom's place and needs nothing and has no space anyways.

Love this thread and am definitely going to read through for ideas for future years and other older family members.

 

[unrequited23]

We are getting my FIL 4 months of unlimited carwashes. He hates having salt on his truck during the winter and will literally get it washed 2 or 3 times a week.

 

[easyas123]

We are getting my FIL 4 months of unlimited carwashes. He hates having salt on his truck during the winter and will literally get it washed 2 or 3 times a week.

That's a good one - I'll have to remember that.
I was going to add digital photo frame, all set up & ready to go.

 

[twoolle]

We are getting my FIL 4 months of unlimited carwashes. He hates having salt on his truck during the winter and will literally get it washed 2 or 3 times a week.

This is what me in laws asked for last year and we got for them. Thank you for the reminder as we will do it for them again this year. Maybe my own parents as well!

 

[fifthdimensiondweller]

I was going to add digital photo frame, all set up & ready to go.

Got this for my mom (and grandma since she lives with her) for Mother's Day this year and they LOVE it. Anyone considering this, get one where you can add pics and such from your end if you can. Really nice to be able to go out to the pumpkin patch with the kids, come home, and upload the photos to their frame so they can see new things happening in real time.