All
over the UK and North America, Dads will be celebrated this Sunday – Father’s
Day is always the third Sunday in June for us and our Stateside cousins –
socks, golfing paraphernalia and whisky miniatures will be changing hands on
both sides of the Atlantic.
It’s
hard being a Dad. You are responsible
for at least one half of a family’s budget and of course support, nurture and
guide your offspring too. All whilst
maintaining your role as the family bedrock – the man your young son aspires to
be and the blueprint for every little girl’s future husband. Hollywood icon Hedy Lamarr summed it up like
this: “I am not ashamed to say that no man I ever met was my
father's equal, and I never loved any other man as much.”
All things considered, there is no
doubt that Dad deserves a treat this weekend.
The question is, what can you give the person who has occupied the space
as the most important person in your life and has helped to shape your
formative years?
Help dad enjoy his day – spoil
dad! Make him his favourite meal, buy
him his favourite choccies or sweets.
Wine Gums became a family tradition in our house on Father’s Day and my
step father always receives Turkish Delight.
Don’t forget Step Dad! There are some lovely Step Father cards out
there, or even cards that say “Thank you for Being Like a Father to Me”. A few well chose words speak volumes and
being a step parent is one of the most difficult jobs in the world
Make it a special day for the whole
family – why not get all your male relatives together? Even those that aren’t dads yet……your
brother, uncles, cousins and granddads.
Let the boys do some real male bonding. And who says you have to stay at
home? You could always head for the park
or the beach, although the way our “Summer” has been so far, an indoor option
may be better!
Choose an activity that everyone can
enjoy, such as a family BBQ or picnic. Although, if you choose the former, ladies,
stand back and watch for the jostling of the Alpha Males. You’ll know who’s won because he’ll be the
one who gets to wear the apron and brandish the BBQ tongs like he’s Gordon
Ramsey. You know what men and BBQs are
like……… If all that testosterone is too
much for you, send the chaps off to fish or golf and have a fab roast waiting
for when they come back. Show me a man
that doesn’t love a roast potato!
Be creative in your present buying –
swerve the socks! Socks are a basic
necessity and not the stuff of present buying………. Be a little more imaginative
when it comes to one of the most precious men in your life: bake a cake; put together a hamper of his
favourite nibbles; paint him a picture of your artistic bent allows. There are so many ways to say “thank you”
A special present is to get old
those old photos out and put them all together in “Dad’s Album” – having them
all together is a fabulous trip down memory lane for the whole family and
allows you to see how many experiences you have shared. It also lets everyone have a laugh at old
clothes and hair styles, especially if dad doesn’t have any hair now!
Most of all, make Father’s Day a
happy day. It’s not the material things
that matter – it’s being there and giving up some of your precious time to see
your dad and let him know that you’re proud of him and everything that he’s
done for you. For most dads, just
knowing that your children love you and have set out on their own life paths
and are coping with problems that life inevitably throws up every now and
again.
Most important of all – end the day
with a hug! Deep down, you’ll always be
Daddy’s little one.
