I love reading stories about kids who forgo birthday gifts in order to give to kids in need. It’s so sweet and heartwarming. However, that is not the reality when it comes to my kids’ birthdays. Don’t get me wrong…both of my sons are great kids and they both give a portion of their time and money to nonprofits throughout the year. However, receiving gifts is definitely one of their “love languages” so my husband and I try to make their birthday gifts special. My oldest son Michael turned 13-years-old a couple of months ago. We already knew what he wanted (a cell phone) but I asked him what to get a 13-year-old-boy for his birthday anyway. Below are his top 7 birthday gift ideas for 13-year-old boys:
1. Fashion Gifts: Supreme brand clothes are really special. I guess that every generation is obsessed with an expensive brand and Supreme is currently that brand for teens. Shoes are also important for boys at this age. As an affordable clothing option, consider the “Fight For Your Spot” (or “Beast In The Game”) t-shirt from our family’s upcoming t-shirt line.
Credit: Supremenewyork.com
2. Music: Rap music is very popular. I am also very old…I had never even heard of the artists that Michael mentioned. I went and asked my husband (who is an 8th-grade math teacher) if Michael was messing with me and making up the names. He was not. A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie, Lil Uzi Vert, and Migos are three groups that he mentioned. I hope that these kids are listening to the “clean” versions of their songs! Hope floats… 🙂
I was like Korath The Pursuer during this music conversation!
3. Movies: The Fate of the Furious, LOGAN, and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 are all current movie theater favorites. Reggie and I saw LOGAN. The movie was very violent (my hands were covering my face throughout most of the movie) BUT it was SO well-scripted and all of the lead performers were excellent. I left thinking about how I can take the “little” things of life (like eating a home cooked meal at the dinner table while laughing with my husband and sons) for granted. Meanwhile, those very same things would make the “best day in a long time” for someone else. If your sons can stand watching the bloodshed (or are willing to look away from it), this is an amazing movie.
Our entire family went to see Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. I will write more about it in the future. For now, I’ll just say, “Bring tissues.”
4. Technology Gifts: The only gift that Michael really wanted for his birthday was an iPhone so that is what he received. He informed me that “most people my age already have phones”. (Whatever.) Computers and tablets are also in demand.
5. Tech Accessories: Along with cases for phones and tablets, headphones are good gift options. The PR team for the Razer ManO’War 7.1 Surround Sound Gaming Headset sent a pair of headphones for Michael to review. He commented, “These headphones are really good. You can use them for anything You can use them for the computer, for the iPad and for your phone The main use for them though is for the Xbox*. You plug it into the jack to listen. If you put the microphone in, you can also speak if you’re playing online with other people.”
*These headphones also work with the Playstation. Michael just mentioned the Xbox because the Xbox One is our family’s current gaming system.
6. Fidget Toys: The cubes and spinners are addictive. Practically all of the kids have (or want) them.
7. Video Games: NBA 2K17 and GTA (Grand Theft Auto) are top picks. We have the NBA game because the kids bought it for Reggie’s birthday last November. They enjoy playing it together and having competitions. Michael and I laughed at the GTA pick because he knows that he won’t be getting a Rated M game at the age of 13. I’m not a fan of first person shooter games overall anyway because I think that too much of that type of play is bound to have a desensitizing effect.
We did allow Michael to review the Rated T Destiny The Collection that we received from the Destiny PR team though. Michael said, “Destiny is a fun game. It has a lot of quests and a lot of weapons that you can customize with different upgrades. It is also very interactive so you can play with other people. If you are doing a bad job, you can join with a group of people virtually when using the Xbox group feature. Groups help you to get raids done easily. You can get a lot of loot (money). It has other things like cool vehicles that are similar to motorcycles that you can ride around on. They also have a ship but you don’t really control it. You just customize it though.”
Hopefully, you will be able to pick out some great birthday gifts from this list. If I left out anything, please let me know. Thanks!
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