I think my best option is to send her into Target or Walmart and tell her to get herself a case. I'll tell her that she could spend as much as she wants, which seems to translate in DW talk as "buy the most expensive one they sell." Hopefully, she'll buy one that will be really protective and not a Gucci piece of non-protective fashion.
If I think it's not strong enough, I'll sign up for AppleCare+.