Teenagers' tastes change drastically throughout the years. Something that is the greatest thing ever created will be looked upon with scorn a week later. The key to buying a gift that will be appreciated is to consult with their parents; this not only prevents duplicate gifts, but also ensures that you have bought something they won't sneer at and instantly discard. Here a few guidelines to buying Christmas gifts for teenagers.

Teenagers today are a lot more advanced than they were 10-15 years ago. Even very young teenagers of thirteen or fourteen are changing rapidly into young adults. They want to be grown up and appreciate gifts that aren't childish. Some makeup or perfume would be gratefully received by young girls, whereas a boy would be more than happy with aftershave.

Jewellery can be quite a safe bet with teenagers. Ask their families what kind they wear. Simple silver chains are ever popular, or earrings if they have their ears pierced. Jewellery which fits in with their current fashion phase will also go down well.

Clothes are a no go area. It may not seem very personal, but a voucher to spend in their favourite clothes store is a very good idea. This gives them a bit of independence, that they are choosing clothes for themselves. Vouchers are also good for CD's and DVD's. Again, they have the power to choose their own, which in turn makes them feel grown up.

If they have game consoles, find out from their family what games they have asked for and reserve one or two for yourself. When they open these on Christmas morning, they will not only be delighted that they have the games they wanted, but they will also appreciate that you have bothered to find out what they really wanted, as opposed to buying them what you thought they would like.

If there is a concert or special event that you know they want to attend, buy them 2 tickets; one for themselves and one for a guest. Once again, check with their parents that they would be happy for them to attend the event.

If you are really stuck as to what to get a certain teenager for Christmas, you can always just opt for that sure fire winner; money. This may not be original but it will certainly be gratefully received. Extra money on top of their allowance is always welcome. This also gives them the freedom to buy the things that they wanted for Christmas, but didn't get.

Stick to these general rules and you will be safe in the knowledge that you haven't wasted your money, and that the teenager concerned will be extremely grateful.