Milestone Birthday Gifts for a Mom, Dad or Grandparent Who 'Doesn't Want Anything'
"I don't want anything" is the answer many parents give before a big birthday. Often it means they don't want more things to dust, not that they don't want a fuss made of them. These ideas focus on time together and memories.
1. Something the whole family can do together
A game the room can play turns a polite gathering into an afternoon people remember. A trivia book built around the decades they grew up in works well because the birthday person is the expert for once. For an 80th, that's the 80th Birthday Trivia Book (1940s to 1970s); for a 90th, the 90th Birthday Trivia Book (1930s to 1960s, in bigger type).
2. A memory collection from the family
Ask everyone to send one memory or one photo before the day and put them in a simple album or folder. It costs very little and it's often the thing that gets kept.
3. A shared outing instead of a present
A favorite restaurant, a drive to a place they used to live, or a visit from someone they haven't seen in years. Book it, then put a card in their hand on the day.
4. Something to share with the youngest grandchildren
If there are small children in the family, a book they can read together makes a gift from the grandchild as much as for the grandparent. The Secret Garden Festival story and coloring book is written for ages 4 to 8: a short chapter to read, then a picture to color.
A few things to avoid
- Jokes about age, unless you know they'll laugh. For some people the number is the hardest part of the day.
- Anything that needs setting up, charging or a password.
- Small print. If eyesight matters, check the type size; we list it on every book page where we've measured it, and the gift guide has a table of all of them.
Buying in the UK? All of these books are on Amazon.co.uk as well as Amazon.com and Amazon.ca; the buttons on each book page take you to the right store.
