What's a good gift for an 18 yr old who broke up with her boyfriend and is sad?

A meal and a nice walk?

A day trip to a pretty area where there’s some natural beauty…ocean, lake, riverside, mountains, beach, nature conservancy, bird sanctuary, bike paths.

Take her shopping at Michael’s or Hobby Lobby and let her buy some materials for a new craft project. Afterwards lunch together.

Or, give her a care package full of craft materals you know she likes, and some origami paper, magazines about her interests (do teens even read paper magazines anymore?) yummy smelling hand lotion, lip glosses, whatever stuff you know she likes.

If she is very depressed she might need a few days to be miserable, sleep, cry, maybe won’t have energy to go out. Make her favorite meal, play board games, watch TV. If you are friends with the moms of some of her close girlfriends, maybe see if you can suggest some of her friends drop by to hang out.

I bought my daughter a huge soft teddy bear almost her size to hold and cry into when she needed to be comforted. She loves the bear to this day. :)

good ideas – I like the craft shopping spree

CHOCOLATE!

The children’s book The Velveteen Rabbit. It’s short and really easy to read and has a wonderful message about how one grows from the pain of disappointment.

I second chocolate. And space.

In my experience my 18-year-old daughter didn’t want her mom involved in her love relationships. I was privileged to be the one she did allow in on some of those stories, but even then it was guarded and need-to-know, mostly.

How about a blank book she can use as a journal to write down her feelings?

I agree about the art shopping spree. Maybe starting a new art project will help take her mind off her current troubles. Or you could take take her to her favorite place to eat.

Nothing, she needs to elanr how to deal with this stuff on her own, its called life.

Take her on a day-trip somewhere to get her out of her routine.

I have always avoided food as a comfort gift. It is too easy for it to be come a lifelong habit – a habit that is hard to break as our girth increases in places we’d rather it didn’t.
Eating a box of chocolates will only feel good for the 10 minutes it takes to wolf it down. The bf situation will remain unchanged, she’ll still be sad, only now she’ll have an extra 1500–2000 calories of sugar and fat on her body and maybe the start of a new habit.
Instead of a food gift, go someplace where you can both be active. Walking, swimming, exploring, talking. Ask for help completing a project. Visit grandma. Take care of early fall garden projects. Do something positive.
Life is not always sunshine and roses. We can either sulk and be sad about it or do something positive to make it better in a small way. IMO the latter is the better choice for a lifelong habit.

@LuckyGuy Yes, then they eat copious amoutns of chocolate, then get depressed aboutg aining wieght, and the cycle continues.

lol

A spa day might be nice, or at least mother daughter pedicures. At times like this it feels nurturing to pamper yourself.

Maybe offer to treat her and her friends to a special outing. Color Me Mine?
I know that most girls rely on their friends rather than their parents during breakups, so it may be cool to give them an opportunity to get together and remind your daughter that life goes on. Plus, she’ll always remember that you offered to help her with this breakup.

A vibrator?

Plane ticket to somewhere safe but new, and don’t go with her.

I love the craft project idea. Anything you can offer her to help create something new and from her heart will go a long way toward healing. I am a total yoga nut so I have to suggest yoga classes or a membership to a good studio!! I went through an enormously difficult break-up last year and believe it or not the thing that helped me deal the best was my yoga class. I’ve just learned that it’s a great way to release emotions!!

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