Dear Straight Talk: The grandmother who wanted to know what to get her grandson for Christmas made me think of my own grandmother. Starting in my junior year, she began giving me things she knew I would need when I moved out of the house. One Christmas she gave me a set of towels, the next year, some beautiful sheets. At the time, I thought they were rather boring gifts, but I ended up using them until I was almost 30 years old and appreciated her every time I did.—Memories of Grandma
Dear Memories: There’s nothing like the wisdom of our elders. Just because most teens want gift cards doesn’t mean it’s the best choice. Personally, I’m leery of hi-tech gift cards because most kids will choose gadgets that let them tune out or reach out more than is healthy. I know kids are craving them, but whenever you give gifts to children, you need to take into account their maturity level and how much parental guidance they will receive.
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