(Algerina Perna/The Baltimore Sun)

Liz Atwood talks about teens and gift buying in this week's Tween Tuesday:

The decorations are up, the gifts have been ordered. We’re in full holiday mode at my house. Naturally the kids want to join in. Twice this past weekend the boys wanted a ride to the mall so they could buy presents. Of course, that meant they were looking out for presents THEY wanted as well.

I wonder how many parents have faced this situation: The kids see something they want to buy for a parent, sibling, friend, etc. and ask to “borrow” the money. I remember my grandmother used to take me to buy presents for my mom. While I may have picked out the present, my grandmother paid the bill. Of course when children are small, they don’t have much money. And I know some of you will say, it’s the thought that counts – let the kid make you a nice hand-crafted decoration. But as the kids get older, their gift-giving becomes more ambitious. They want to go beyond the handmade ornament. Presumably, their wallets grow as they grow older. Tweens can earn an allowance or take small jobs. So when they have their own money, should they buy their own presents?

How much freedom should a tween be given in shopping for and buying gifts? Do you drop your tween off at the mall and let him spend his own money? Do you give him a budget? Do you accompany him as he picks out his gifts? Do you give him the money to buy the gifts?