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Your friend's daughter graduates this June and you can't wait to give her a special gift! In the rush to impress her (or her family!), don't forget: A quality gift is one the grad will treasure, for the moment, or forever. Consider carefully How to Choose High School Graduation Gifts.
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Your friend's daughter graduates this June and you can't wait to give her a special gift! In the rush to impress her (or her family!), don't forget: A quality gift is one the grad will treasure -- for the moment -- or forever. Consider carefully how to choose high school graduation gifts.
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Introduction
- High school graduation is a rite of passage almost universally treasured. For some, it represents the transition from home to college. Others, though they may not be leaving the nest quite yet, are moving from school into the working world. For all, it is an important transition from dependence toward independence from their parents.
- If you are charged with buying a gift for a young friend, neighbor, or relative who is graduating this year, here are the steps to follow:
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Step 1: Consider Your Relationship to the Grad
- As much as teens love free stuff(!), you don't want to create an awkward situation by offering a gift that might seem at all inappropriate. Think about the following:
- Is the gift too pricey for a teen you do not know that well?
- Might it seem too personal?
- Can it be deemed in any way suggestive? The line between what is or is not appropriate has grown finer in this millennium. Before you offer an item, make sure it passes the test. If you are not sure about appropriateness, ask
- friends,
- spouse,
- the teen's parents.
- No gift-giver wants to mar the occasion with a rude or suggestive offering. That kind of gift may be remembered for a lifetime -- but not in a good way.
Step 2: Consider His/Her Interests and Personality
- Sometimes, in the rush to give an impressive gift, the interests of the graduate barely enter into the equation. Ask yourself:
- Is he an outgoing people person who loves to show off?
- Is she a bookworm with a flair for the creative?
- Does she enjoy lots of quiet time, or is she the life of the party?
- Though it may seem like a wonderful gift to you, the bookworm might not respond so well to, for instance, a flashy piece of jewelry. At the same time, the fashion-oriented teen might prefer cosmetics to a book on the deeper meaning of life. So set aside your personal preferences in favor of theirs. Remember, it's all about the graduate!
Step 4: Keep Your Competitive Spirit in Check
- Given human nature, the spirit of competition sometimes enters even into gift-giving.
Though the graduating senior may love the spoils of that competition(!), try to keep a level head. Focus on what will be of use to, or create great memories for, the graduate herself. Attempt to avoid one-upsmanship. Remember, it's all about the graduate!
Step 5: Consider Alternative Gifts
- In these days of heightened social and environmental awareness, a gift geared toward giving back might be a quality option.
- Consider
- A donation in the graduate's name to an organization like Heifer International, which gives life-sustaining gifts of livestock to families in developing countries.
- Planting a tree in an endangered forest in the graduate's name.
- Travel geared toward community empowerment, like building a school or hospital in a needy country. (Again, consider whether the cost of the trip is appropriate to your relationship.)
- Membership in a non-profit that speaks to her interests, such as a museum, social or environmental organization.
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