Authored by Neal F. Litherland in Gifts
Published on 12-20-2009
Graduating from high school is a particularly noteworthy occasion in a young man’s life. And to dedicate that occasion most friends and family members will get him some kind of gift. While most people would like the ability to get the teen aged boy they know a nice, new car or a college scholarship, that’s often beyond the average gift giver’s ability. There are some good gift giving options though which vary in price and intimacy, depending on what you can afford and what you want to spend.
The first option is to get the graduating boy something traditional. This could be something such as a class ring or a plaque, but it could also be something more unique. If you’re close with the graduating boy then perhaps you could get him something personalized, like a pendant to represent his religious beliefs, or a small memento with a particular catch phrase or slogan that he’s fond of. If the graduating boy is a member of your family then it might be an interesting choice to get something with his family crest on it, such as a seal ring or a framed picture.
If you don’t know the boy that well, say he’s the son of a friend or a nephew that you don’t see often, it might be a better idea to get him something a little more general. Find something that will either be useful now or in the near future, and combine it with a theme that you know he likes. For instance if you know that the boy is a fan of formal wear and dressing up, then a fine watch might be a good present (or even a halfway decent pocket watch). Another idea is that if you know he’ll be attending college and will be carrying a number of books, buy him a bag that will last through his academic career.
In the third category there are gifts that are so general that you can give them to any boy that’s graduating high school. Gift cards are popular choices, especially gas cards for those boys who have a car. So too are gift cards for decent restaurants. College aged boys rarely have the money to eat well themselves, much less to take a date to dinner with them. And of course giving money is always a good choice because no one will ever turn down money, even if it is a rather impersonal gift.
Overall though high school graduation gifts should be selected based on how close you are to the person who’s graduating. If it’s your son, or a close friend’s son then you should put some time, effort, thought and money into the gift. If on the other hand it’s the third child of your college roommate’s former girlfriend that you keep in occasional e-mail contact with, don’t sweat it too much. It’s the thought that counts, and if a person isn’t that close to you then he isn’t going to expect much from you. Of course the opposite is also true.
