Now that we’re into November, I’m finally starting to think about Christmas gifts.
I’ve always found it easier to buy for the girls than the boys. Maybe I’m just really good at tapping into the little girl I used to be, but buying for my daughters and my niece is always fun.
But those boys….it takes more time to find good gifts for them. Of course, they’re always willing to tell me exactly which Wii game or Lego set they want. But I like to surprise gift recipients instead of just buying from a list they’ve written.
So, how about you? Who’s harder to shop for, boys or girls? Let’s have some fun with this. Leave your answer in the comments on this post and you’ll automatically be entered in a drawing for a new copy of Shovelhorns, the Biography of a Moose, and Black Bruin, the Biography of a Bear, two classic wildlife novels for boys in one book. It’ll make a great Christmas gift for your son, grandson or nephew.
Deadline for qualifying comments is this Friday, 11/12/10, at midnight. Winner to be announced Saturday, 11/13/10. U. S. residents only, please.
Good luck!
11/13/10, 12:00 AM: end of contest. Winner will be announced later today.
I have a really hard time finding stuff for my son. I hate just getting the same toy cars and video games. I really wish I was better at thinking of stuff for him.
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Girls are much harder to shop for as their moods changs so often waht they like this morning they don’t like tonight. They are also more likely to want something just because their friend wants it or has it. Susan
My boys are much harder to shop for then my girls! Until the girls get older that is.. I was not much of a girly girl when I was past ten, so i think that has something to do with it!
Boys are definitely harder to shop for, probably because I’m NOT one. I simply don’t understand the lure of video games, and my boys aren’t interested in clothes or trendy things. Like you, I’d prefer not to shop from a list of things they say they want. I like surprises!
I think girls are because if they want a doll or shirt, it has to be a specific one, I want the Tinkerbell doll from the movie, but not Tinkerbell the one with red hair, and not the one in the red dress but in the blue dress, and you can only find it at store X. It drives me a little nutty, but boys seem like they are less picky. I can pretty much please them with whatever, game, toy, etc. that I can find. So, hands down I say boys are easier for me. 🙂
I think, since we’re blessed with 2 of each, that the boys are harder to shop for.
My son is still very little, but he has been harder to shop for than the girls. He likes blocks and trucks. But, how many blocks and trucks can one have!? I need creative ideas for him!
I think boys are harder to buy for. Girls are more into collecting and if you know what they are collecting, you can add to it.
Girls! Boys like the simple things, but the girls? It must be “Precise”.
I agree with the boys being harder most of the time. My husband has good ideas for them, and that is a great help! Glad to find your website! Thank you.
Definitely BOYS are harder to shop for. I think part of the problem is that there are less quality items made for boys, especially tween and teen boys.
just saying….
I think they are equally hard depending on their age. Like if the girls are into collecting items, sure the ideas come, but when do they learn to stop collecting and they can’t have it all? And what if what they want to collect, like so much out there, isn’t something that promotes good self image and being kind to others? Good gifts like books and art projects are really nice, but then they don’t have something to “play” with on Christmas morning. Same with the boys–either the pieces get broken or lost within a few days and then they’re on to something else, usually something active or outside. Sometimes they are easier to redirect and appease than the girls.
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Boys are way easier to shop for. Actually, you don’t even have to shop. Just save your empty bottles and toilet paper rolls, give them some yarn and a stapler, and you’re set! Just look at which tools they keep taking from Dad’s toolbox and buy them their own. Even better, give them a list of things they can fix with their tools and it’ll be the best gift they ever recieved. And of-course, who wouldn’t be happy with a pocket knife, flashlight, or binoculars. All the guys in our family either want something they can do something with, or something they can EAT!
BOYS!! Without a doubt! I find it much easier to shop for my daughter & nieces than my sons & nephews!
This may be because I was never a boy… :o)
I think boys want things that are generally harder to understand (techie toys/electronics/engineering toys) which also makes it harder to gauge the age-appropriateness.
I prefer girlie shopping, but have done a little better finding cool boy stuff this year!
Merry Happy All!
Boys are so much harder to buy for. I have two boys and I get so discouraged when I got into a store and see rows and rows of pink and yellow, and a little tiny section in the back of “boy stuff”.
I believe boys prove harder than girls because boys’ nice clothes are impossible to find if you’re not at Macy’s or JCPenney’s. Any other items have guns, skulls, or both. Buying for girls is easy because there are three times as many clothes from which you can select and you can purchase all that cute nail and hair stuff EVERYWHERE.
I find age causing far more issues in gift giving than gender. I can give to my older children easily as they have more opinions and there are many things for their age we haven’t got yet – but we have so many baby things and doesn’t really care (and baby stuff seems to be more expensive for what it is) that I really struggle.
I think boys are easier, but maybe that’s because I have boys. Or maybe that’s why God gave me boys, I’m not sure. Both my guys have so many things they’re interested in, it’s always hard to pare down the list to something managable. But fun! This book looks great.
I have one of each and I’d have to say I have an easier time shopping for gifts for my son rather than my daughter. He is very open about his passions (sports, construction toys like Legos, K’Nex, etc.) My daughter likes craft kits, music and books so I can usually pick something out for her. But I have noticed that there are lots of things marketed for girls that I don’t want my daughter to have (namely clothing items, or pop culture icons). That is why its harder to shop for her- finding items that are age appropriate.
I think overall I find it harder to shop for boys. There are a lot of choices out there, but some things do not stand up to the wear and tear (how many of a certain thing does a child need?) lol! My oldest son is 13 and asking for more expensive gifts that aren’t in our budget, so I really have to look hard to find good replacements! Now I really find it hard to shop for girls AND boys that already have a lot of stuff or I know they get a tremendous amount for Christmas.
I always used to think that buying for girls was easier, but now that I have teenagers, I think buying for the girls is HARDER. My oldest daughter has very specific, narrowly-defined preferences, which I can’t really seem to figure out. 🙂 Also, I think that especially in the area of clothing, shopping is hard because so much of what is out there is immodest.
It is easier for boys I think. They seem to be less picky and it is also easier to find cheaper things for my son than my daughter..Well, they are not into technical gadgets yet, so I am talking hot wheels versus My Little Pony, stuffed animals, and things like that..
Boys are alot harder to buy for, they are usually more limited in what they like. It seems you have the same choices for boys year after year.The older they get the harder it gets.
Ok, so you would think i would be the expert in boy shopping and be on the “girls are harder” bandwagon, since I have five boys and only one girl! But i am going to have to say BOYS are harder. Your post has been quite thought provoking for me, as I had never really thought much of it before. I can not come up with a definitive answer of “Why?”. It may be as you say, that I was once a girl, so it stands to reason that I have a clue as to the wants and needs of one. Or it may also be that there just isn’t as many diverse choices for boys. Again that can just go back to the fact that I find girls things more interesting, being one and all!
Overall, especially as they get older, I think boys are harder to shop for. At least the boys I know, anyway…:)
I think boys are, many of the toys are just plain nasty and not what I would allow my child to play with or read. There just is not a lot of wholesome boy toys, or they are very expensive.
Moe