1. If you have a teenage girl who has a hard time getting out of bed, especially in the winter months, then this wake-up lamp might help. My daughter has been using it for a few years and loves it. It helped her to establish and maintain a healthy wake-up and wind-down bed routine.
2. Heated Blankets are good for the months when your girl just wants to curl up on the sofa with a hot chocolate. My daughter loves her big soft pink one. She uses this much smaller heating pad whenever her menstrual pain is very strong, and she is travelling.
3. A weighted blanket and it’s soft matching cover are useful gifts for girls who struggle with anxiety, as the weight can provide them with much-needed comfort. We have tried a few and this one has so far been the best. The cover is easy to attach, to wash and has a nice feel.
4. If your daughter wants to learn more about her lifestyle while living abroad, then the Third Culture Kids book is helpful. It is “the” book for kids (and parents) living abroad that shows you that you are not alone with your expat challenges.
5. This unusual card game “We are not really strangers” family edition keeps everyone engaged. Interesting questions keep family members talking during the holiday season.
6. Liquid chalk markers for windows are just perfect to use on windows and mirrors. Easy to leave a love note for your teen and for her to decorate the windows in her room (or the whole house…) for Christmas.
7. Headphones are good for your teen’s privacy, so she can to listen to music and catch up on audiobooks. Our family has been using Apple Air Pod Pros for a while. My daughter and I seem to be often losing one headphone (unfortunately for both of us, it is always the left one…), but you can get just one replacement pod at any Apple Store. I also have backup headphones, namely these Beats Flex wireless. Another alternative are these new noise-cancelling Apple Air Pod Max which I have tried on in the store the other day (hoping Santa brings me some...)!
8. Nike Air Force 1 still seem to be the best cool white sneakers that go with everything and can be worn in any temperature (much to many mom’s rolling eyes…).
9. Gift your daughter with this scratch off map where she can visually track all the countries she has been to. We store ours in the solid carton roll, because we don't have a wall to put it on at the moment... Unrolling and scratching has become a tradition after every trip.
10. A white noise machine gives your teen some privacy during the holidays or when she is on a Zoom call. This is the model which may daughter has been using since the beginning of the pandemic.
I hope these gift ideas help you find the last-minute present you were looking for. If you have some tips of your own you, please send them my way and I will make another list inspired by all the moms from my community.
P.S.: One extra tip: If you have a daughter who is dyslexic or loves books but loathes the reading process, then a membership at Audible.com is a great solution. She can find great audio listens which will foster her love for books with thousands of great listens. Ask me and my daughter, as we have been members since 2005…
Happy Holidays to you and your family, wherever you will be during these days.
Kindly, Andrea