Lee Ann I asked my husband to come up with some good ideas for a Father’s Day gift guide. Here is what he came up with.
What does Father’s Day mean to me, now that I am a father of three kiddos? Well, thus far, it has really been more about my wife recognizing the things that I do all year long to help our family navigate this wild ride that we are on every day. But going forward, as the kids grow up and start to understand things like this more and more, it starts to take on a new meaning. To me, not only does it mean that my wife appreciates me for all I do, but it means that my kids start to recognize what it means to be a dad. They are starting to see all the things that we as parents do every single day to give them the best shot at being the best that they can be.
We mow the grass so they can play, we wash the dishes and cook so that they can eat wholesome meals, we wash clothes so that they are properly dressed every day, we become a part of the education process during a global pandemic so that they don’t miss a beat when school returns to its previous structure….(notice I said “we” and not “I”? Zero chance I could do this all myself)
For all of those things and so many, many more, this is a day to celebrate dads and all they do. Check out these gift ideas to give dads a chance to recoup, relax, and enjoy the day however they decide to unwind and enjoy it!
1. Golfing
Every year I put together a little golf outing for my husband. Him and 3 friends pick a date/time/course and get to go out on a little adventure. The last few years they have picked Father’s Day morning and they love it. The very first year I did this, I was pregnant with Leilani. I set up a little scavenger hunt with clues to figure out what he was doing. Unfortunately I went into labor the night before the golf outing and the other 3 guys had to go without him. Leilani’s always surprising us that way!
2. Power Tools
*Queue Tim the Tool Man Taylor’s weird noise he made all the time. He legit made that sound after saying power tools! I asked Kevin if this was the equivalent to getting appliances for women and he said absolutely not! (But I’m also weird and asked for a vacuum for Christmas so there’s that.) He also said, “What a perfect time to check things off the honey-do list.” He knows how to get what he wants. What other kind of motivation do we need than that?
3. Funny T-shirts
I don’t know what it is about funny t-shirts, but Kevin has gotten a few. And he has loved every single one of them. The one on the left, I made myself, just for him. I don’t think there is a need to explain this one…haha! The one on the right I bought from Amazon and each kid had a slice of pizza on their shirt that filled in his pizza to make it whole. (There is one child missing in this picture because he was sleeping).
4. A Massage
It’s not just moms that love massages, my husband happens to love them too. And he rarely gets them. So go ahead, spoil him with a massage. In the past I have just scheduled them for him and sent him on his way the day of. And he always came back relaxed and smiling. (And maybe needed a nap).
Or, if you’re feeling up to it and don’t have to worry about the kids interrupting, buy some massage oil and give him a massage yourself!
5. Nap Time (or a scheduled nap time)
If you have that massage scheduled already, you should just add an hour or so on to the time he gets home to take a nap. Everyone loves a nap – especially an uninterrupted nap. (Even if it’s with one of the kids!)
6. Sports Equipment
Obviously you should *probably tie this into sports that they like. Like Kevin is into golf, so new golf clubs or golf balls would be good. And he’s super in to bowling, so a new bowling ball would be great. But err on the side of caution with this one. Don’t just buy anything…you’ll have to get their input on this one or just go with a gift card and print a picture of what you were thinking of.
7. Grilling Tools
I’ve never met a Dad that doesn’t love to grill and click his tongs while doing so. Plus, I get to eat all the yummy food! Winning!! Check out this awesome set by Cuisinart for less than $20!
8. Alcohol and/or Chocolate
Kevin loves a good scotch and he’d be perfectly happy with a nice aged bottle of it for Father’s Day. And he has a bigger sweet tooth than I do! One year I made him a candy bouquet and he loved it. You can find a bunch of different ideas on how to make a candy bouquet here.
9. Food
I’ve heard so many people say that the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach. While that may be funny for some, it’s pretty true with my husband. Ha! And the funniest part about that is if we are talking about picking up food and I ask him what he wants, he 99.99% of the time will say Taco Bell. It’s simple…want to make him happy? Pick up some Taco Bell on the way home. He also loves my cooking, don’t get me wrong. And when I ask him what he wants me to make on special occasions, it’s almost always my Cheesy Hash Browns with Ham Casserole.
Dads want to do something that they enjoy and have a day of relaxation, however they define it. So get out there and find something that says “thank you” in the best way for the dads in your life! If you have little ones that are learning the meaning of Father’s Day like we do, get them involved so that they learn the meaning of the day as well!
– Kevin Meier
