18th birthday gifts

I think a good balance of something personal for them to keep & some money.

Yes, I was thinking of going down the personalised route, maybe some jewellery?

Personally I would give them money. Keepsakes and jewellery depend so much on personal taste. Better to let them decide for themselves at that age.

We paid for DD's passport for her 18th. it was all we could afford as we were paying for her wedding a few months after. DS had a signet ring which he chose and I think has worn a couple of times
Oldest DGS is only 9

Shares in a company? My children got these as gifts and they still get some dividends. It also provides some entertainment to see how they rise or fall in value.

I got a party to which I was then disinvited.

Eventually I was ordered to attend but only the meal and was not allowed to bring any friend.

Most of the meal was spent with mother telling her assembled relations what a failure I was and how she had wasted her life trying to bring me up.

Father just sat there.

At the point at which she said she should probably just have aborted me, my grandmother told me to leave and left herself.

I would.... not recommend such a gift or celebration

One of mine is 18 end of this month, she doesn’t wear jewellery or want anything traditional and I think it would be really a waste to get anything personalised as I don’t really know her taste I didn’t send anything special for my eldest grandchild’s 18th my gift was money again and seemed appreciated She lives the other side of the world so I don’t know what she liked or had already got
I m not sure why we make a thing of 18 really

MY DDs were 18 and 21 a couple of weeks apart. We gave them each a set of matching luggage, with which they were delighted. It was well used over the following years for storage in their student flats and on their travels.

muffinthemoo I hope you and your DGM, then went to the pub, got tiddly and had an enjoyable evening behaving disgracefully.

I intend to give both DGC driving lessons for their 18th birthday. Being able to drive has, together with touch typing and being able to swim replaced needlework, cooking and playing the piano, as the essential accomplishments for all young people. although cooking is galloping up fast to join the Pantheon - How about a cookery course. Practical, cooking on a budget or just fun, breadmaking.

My 2 boys both had ' memories' for their 18th at their own request .
DS1 worked for a few months to fund going to Oz in his gap year and we paid for a flight to add - on New Zealand .

DS2 wanted to ' wake up in Amsterdam ' on his 18th and we paid for the flights for him and 3 friends.

Their 21st birthday were not marked in any special way as they considered 18 to be The Big One .