For Adult Children Living Away

Now that my girls are out of the house, I still want them to remember that I’m thinking of them now and then. Little packages let them know they’re special, and give them some extra incentive/love to help with studying. This is such a nice idea around finals time especially, but they can always use every day stuff to help manage life on their own.

Think of things that are unique to them, that they may not think to buy on their own, and/or that they might need but not have a lot of time or money to spend. If it’s food, it should be convenient, and keep and travel well. These gifts are small, simple, and inexpensive, because they’re meant to send just a little sweet or silly message. Note that I do have daughters, so please do tailor these ideas to your boys as well!

As an example, my daughter loves pistachio nuts, and I sent her a box of individual packages recently, so she can throw one into her backpack when heading to class or out to the library. Sending things like this randomly surprises them and brightens their day, which makes me feel great too! 

Here are some more ideas for you to consider! You can send individual items, or create gift boxes, using similar things to make perfect themes! 

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1. Individually wrapped snacks, cakes and cookies. I don’t know many kids, young or old, that don’t like some tasty cakes, and they likely have their favorite kinds. My girls are big Oreo eaters!

2. Candies and Gum- individually wrapped or in packs. M&Ms, Hersey Kisses for energy, and some Jolly Ranchers or other hard candies for class and studying. They have their favorites here too. My daughter LOVES her Kit Kat bars! A nice assortment will make them smile! I get multi-packs of sugar-free gum in mint or watermelon- and that’s always a huge hit.

3. Jewelry. An example of some jewelry that’s ‘in’ at the moment is anklets. I found this cheap pack in multi-colors that is so cute and lets them choose different combinations to wear on any given day. There are similar packets for bracelets and earrings that are fun.

4. Nails. We like to splurge on manicures when they’re home or for the holidays, but it’s not something we can always afford. But we love our nails to look polished and put together. A few sets of press-on nails are something my girls love. Maybe pair with a gift card for a manicure at a salon near them or a few seasonal polish colors with remover!

5. Makeup. What is their favorite brand, type, or style? Something small like a special mascara or lip gloss is great. Throw in some makeup remover pads.

6. Toiletries. Anything they use on a regular basis is great to re-stock for them. This includes deodorant, toothpaste, skins creams, and shampoo. And not just every day stuff, but it’s fun to think of things that lend themselves to being in a spa so they can have a nice and relaxing weekend evening. Deep conditioner for hair, facial masks, and foot cream come to mind.

7. Coffee. I’ve spoiled my daughters with having a Nespresso machine at home (which makes the most delicious coffee). They each have a mini-one for their apartment, so a packet of sleeves of coffee pods is a great gift, because they drink a lot of coffee, and these pods aren’t cheap! You can get them now in individual packs of 10 at Target which was great for me to learn recently. Include a coffee mug, some creamers, and/or coffee syrups to round it out.

8. Microwavable stuff! Think things that keep for awhile and are a nice warming snack or meal. Things like mac and cheese, oatmeal packets, flavored rice, popcorn.

9. Picture frames. I will occasionally send them random photos of my cat, my husband or me doing something silly. Or their baby pictures! They can choose to frame one of my photos or one with their college friends- either way we love our photos for memories.

10. Pens. Do they have favorite pens? My daughter loves my journaling pens that come in pretty pastel colors. A pack of these is something I know she can use! Include some notebooks, sticky note pads, and pencils.

11. Printer ink. Along the lines of “what they may not think to get”, this is an important one, I think. We all know it runs out way faster than we expect, and more importantly it’s SO ridiculously expensive! Saving her a trip to the store last-minute (because you never know when it might happen) is a great idea. (Maybe include a ream of printer paper?)

12. Laundry. Something they have to deal with that I remember being a big pain when I was in school was doing laundry. Instead of her carrying a big heavy bottle down to the laundry room, get some small bottles or sheets she can throw into the laundry basket. Or this really cute carrier that holds everything really easily. Add some dryer sheets and fabric softener too! Tide pens are always good to have around, and I personally love wrinkle releaser- I haven’t ironed since I started using it. 🙂 Include anything you think they’ll use!

13. Dressings and condiments. When I was at Walmart the other day I noticed they had mini bottles of ketchup,  hot sauce, barbecue sauce, mayonnaise…I thought they were so cute, and it reminded me to go back and get some as stocking stuffers (more on these for adult kids closer to Christmas). Sending a few of their favorite sauces is a cute idea, and they will definitely use them if they’re like my kids and get their share of fast food like nuggets, and other dishes where sauce just makes it better.

14. Things to make their living space smell sweet. Candles, plug in air fresheners, diffusers. Add a rechargeable lighter. I cannot believe I lived without these before, they are amazing.

15. Gift cards. Definitely consider adding a gift card to a special box if it makes sense (like the nail salon). But on their own, gift cards for something you know they like/want are great gifts to include inside a fun seasonal, holiday, or ‘thinking of you’ card.

These are some ideas for small and simple care packages. For more ideas on (bigger, holiday and birthday) gifts for adult children, see my post: 10 Incredibly FUN Gifts Your Adult Children will LOVE!

I hope you find these care packages useful, and have fun keeping in touch with your adult children as much as I do. Let me know if you have other ideas!