• Clear lip gloss does not draw too much attention to itself.lip gloss image by Allyson Ricketts from Fotolia.com
  
  Tweens--children who have not yet reached the age of 13--can be difficult people to buy gifts for. Caught between the desire to have fun and the desire to begin growing up a little, they may want some gifts that they are not yet ready for, and others they will grow tired of quickly. Balancing these two aspects is the key to selecting the perfect gift for a tween.
  
  

Modest Makeup

• Young tween girls are reaching the age where they might begin to care greatly about their appearance. However, parents would prefer their girls not to grow up too quickly, and wearing a great deal of makeup at a young age can draw too much unwanted attention. You can compromise by giving your girl a modest makeup item such as clear lip gloss, which allows her to begin experiencing the enjoyment of primping and dressing up without going overboard.
  
  

Headphones

• Tweens are often just beginning to discover the bands and artists that will be their favorite musicians well into adulthood. Unfortunately, the side effect for the parents is that young children also have the habit of occasionally blasting their music so loud that everyone else in the house is forced to listen to it. Save your ears from this aural attack by purchasing headphones for your child, but make sure that they keep the volume level reasonable.
  
  

Magazine Subscription

• Although the content that they want to read may not always be purely educational, all of the reading that tweens do enhances their mind in some way. You can purchase a few subscriptions for magazines with content appropriate for tweens, so that you will not have to worry about what your child is reading. The ideal magazines are those that include educational content but present it in an entertaining manner.
  
  

Clothing

• Whether your tween is male or female, you can hardly go wrong with clothing. Many children relish their first opportunities to begin choosing clothing for themselves, and you can honor a birthday by allowing your child to select a wardrobe. Generally, it is wise to avoid purchasing expensive designer clothing at this age, much as your child might plead for it. Because the tween years are very close to the time when a growth spurt should occur, they may outgrow the clothing quickly.