18th and 21st birthdays.

One or the other for extra special gifts, I would have thought, but not both.

21 used to be when you became an indpendent fully fledged adult. That was reduced to 18. 21st birthdays are merely just another birthday.

You dont HAVE to give anything you dont want to.If you 're making a special cake then a card with £21 in it as a nod to the age but dont feel pressured to spend what you cant afford or dont want to

It changed the year I turned 18 and although I recieved a couple of 'keys' no big fuss was made except mum and dad took me for a meal. My 21st was the day we went and bought my ring for our wedding 10 wks later.
My AC celebrated just their 18ths. I wouldn't make a 21st anything other than a normal birthday these days.

It doesn't matter what everyone else did, what matters is what your grandchildren want and what you are prepared to do for them.
Talk to them and find out.

My eldest grandson was 18 in January. I gave him a rather more generous wad of cash than his previous birthdays. I do not intend to give him any more birthday presents and have doubled down on that viewpoint since I have never received any kind of thank you.

However, thank you or not, I shall not be giving presents once any of the others are over 18.

An extra special fuss doesn’t have yo cost you a penny.