7 Romantic Gifts Men Are Tired of Receiving

When you get someone a gift you want it to be appreciated. Even more than that, however, you want your gift to make the person happy. That is the entire point of the gift. You would not have given them a gift otherwise. As such, it is no surprise that gift giving is a staple in romantic relationships. It is more common for men to give gifts, but it is not unusual for women to want to return the favor. That does not mean, however, that women are any less likely to pick terrible gifts than men. Women are just as likely as men to give their significant other a gift and receive a fake smile and dutiful “thank you” that tells the woman that the man appreciates the thought but really has no use or interest in the actual item. No one wants to be on the receiving end of that expression. Like the gift, it is well-meant but disappointing. So, push the traditional ideas about romantic gifts out of your mind. They are not likely to make most men happy. In fact, men are very tired of receiving these seven “romantic” gifts from their well-meaning girlfriends and wives.

Cologne

Cologne is a common gift when women want to be romantic. After all, many women like to wear different scents, so it makes sense to them that their man might enjoy such a gift as well. The first problem that women might run into here is that not all men wear cologne. As such, it is not a good idea to give him if you do not know for certain that he wears cologne often. The second and main problem that you are going to find is that men are just as picky as women when it comes to the scents the want to wear. In fact, many men are pickier than women. Women will accept another scent if they think it smells as good as an old one. Men may not even try it if it is not the cologne they usually wear. You may mean well, but cologne is usually not a great gift idea.

Jewelry

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As with cologne, jewelry is not a great gift to offer your man for many of the same reasons. Like cologne, not all men wear jewelry. Those that do are normally very picky about it. Once again, women worry about things like style and shape. Men, however, also tend to worry about looking too “girlie” in jewelry. Those that do wear jewelry usually only wear one or two pieces, and those pieces are usually distinctively masculine. A heavy class ring, for example, or a large faced watch. The only exception might be religious jewelry such as a saint medallion or cross. These are usually unisex.

Given that men are picky about jewelry, assuming they wear any at all, it might be best to take your man with you if you want to get him something shiny. Just because you think that he would love that gold watch does not mean he will be thrilled with it. With jewelry, worry less about surprising him and more about getting him something he will actually wear.

Framed Pictures

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Framed pictures are a sentimental gesture. They are a way of memorializing happy and important moments in your life and keeping them near the front of your significant other’s mind. When you look at a picture of a happy moment, it should make you happy in the present as well. That, at least, is the theory behind giving people pictures. The problem is that not everyone enjoys having tons of pictures on their walls or desk, and women are more likely to be shutterbugs than men. Men may enjoy having a couple of pictures on their desk of family members or especially important moments, but they do not want more than two or three. As such, a framed picture might be a sweet gesture, but it is not likely to be the sort of thing that he is thrilled to receive as a gift.

Clothing

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Some men like clothing and fashion. For the majority, however, clothing is not something that they find terribly exciting. They might be happy to receive a new suit jacket if they needed one or grateful for a package of socks if theirs were all beginning to develop holes as most people are reasonably thankful when someone gives them something they need. That does not make the gift particularly romantic or exciting. Despite that fact, clothing is one of the most common gifts men seem to receive. Family and friends tend to default to either gift cards or clothing when buying for a man in their lives, so a nice silk tie is not likely to be something that gets him terribly excited. It is not a terribly creative gift either. To make matters worse, clothing is a rather impersonal gift, not something that shows you really know him well.

Technology

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It seems like men always have to have the latest gadget or gizmo. It may be stereotypical, but men are more likely than women to be interested in the latest, greatest technology. As such, it can seem like a no brainer to buy your man some form of technology for his birthday, Christmas or your anniversary. It is a practical gift that he will love. That, at least, is the theory. In reality, men get pretty picky about their technology, and who can blame them? Most people today have their phones, tablets or smartwatches with them at all times. That is a lot of hours to carry around something that you are not thrilled to have with you. As such, buying technology for someone can be difficult unless you know them as well as you know yourself. Even then, it might be better to skip the surprise and take them with you to the store given the amount of money you are almost guaranteed to be spending on tech.

Handmade Items

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Have you ever had a friend or relative proudly present you with an absolutely hideous sweater that they knitted by hand over the course of dozens of hours? If so, you are intimately familiar with the nauseating mixture of guilt and panic that comes when someone hands you a handmade gift that you do not like in the slightest. You might be touched that they put so much time into a gift for you, but you also feel a terrible obligation to keep and appreciate the object. Even if you hate it, you feel like you cannot waste their hard work. So, you are stuck keeping the terrible sweater that you might wear once or twice out of a sense of duty before burying it in the back of your closet forever. Your man feels the same way when you give him a crocheted blanket or other handmade item. He may hate it, but he feels obligated to thank you for it and keep it around.

A Gift For You

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A gift for a loved one is meant to be something that will make them happy, not an excuse for you to buy something for yourself and couch it as being generous. You may think it would be great fun to go to a Broadway show as a couple. If he is more interested in going hunting than going to New York, do not give him a pair of tickets to “Phantom of the Opera” and pretend like you got him a gift. You bought yourself a gift and included him in it. These are not the same thing. Similarly, do not buy two sets of tickets to a couple’s spa when your man is not bothered by the fact that he has callouses an inch thick on his hands. If you are going to get him a gift, get him something that you know he will enjoy even if you think it sounds about as exciting as watching paint dry. The gift is about him, not you.