10 Father's Day Do's and Don'ts
Father's Day is filled with presents from well-meaning wives and caring children, but often times dads are disappointed by the gifts they are given. This season, you have a much better chance of him being satisfied instead of saddened by his gift if you pick his present with his personality in mind, so use these dos and don'ts for ideas of what different types of dads might want.
For the Road Warrior
A Dud for Dad: If your father likes to explore the country in his car, he might be offended if you decide get him a pair of slippers or a robe that implies he should stay at home more often.
Fantastic for Father's Day: Encourage his adventurous spirit and give him a sense of security when he's on the go with the Garmin nuvi 350 GPS Navigation, which offers many time-saving and life-saving options.
Perfect Papa Presentation: Consider purchasing a travel trashcan for his car and using it as the gift bag instead of buying a box.
For the Green Thumb
A Dud for Dad: Guys like the hard work involved with gardening outdoors, so any indoor or one-step garden that is easy to cultivate will take away from his fun.
Fantastic for Father's Day: Give him the tools he needs to enjoy his outdoor experience even more with this Garden Tool Set that will have him humming away as he hones his gardening skills.
Perfect Papa Presentation: Burying the package in a flowerpot filled with dirt or fertilizer will ensure that he gives your gift a green "thumbs up" as soon as he starts to "open" it.
For the New Retiree
A Dud for Dad: Anything related to work or that may remind him of his former job is no fun for Father's Day. Now that he's retired, it's time for him to do nothing but relax, relax, relax!
Fantastic for Father's Day: Emphasize the fact that he's earned a vacation by gifting him with this comfortable and easy to install Eno Doublenest Hammock. Perfect for the summer, this hammock will have all of your dad's fellow retirees wondering why they didn't get one from their family on Father's Day.
Perfect Papa Presentation: Surprise Dad by installing the hammock yourself in a cool, shady place so that he can get started using it right away.
For the Businessman
A Dud for Dad: Golf lessons, a spa gift certificate, or any other experience that might expire before he has time to take advantage of it is not the way to go with a business-minded dad.
Fantastic for Father's Day: Gift your go-getting guy with something he can use immediately and that helps his image, like a lightweight blazer or sports jacket that will garner compliments from clients and coworkers alike.
Perfect Papa Presentation: Consider purchasing a nice tie rack to go along with this present, and use the tie as the package's bow.
For the Music Lover
A Dud for Dad: If he's truly in sync with his love for tunes, he probably already owns a great set of headphones and has a favorite music-spouting device, so gifting him with another will just be redundant.
Fantastic for Father's Day: Help him enhance and expand his ability to hear his music anywhere he goes with this Bose SoundDock Portable Digital Music System.
Perfect Papa Presentation: Copy pages from a book of sheet music and wrap the box in it for a package that hits just the right note.
For the Sports Fan
A Dud for Dad: Tickets to an event are a great idea but can be a bummer if he ends up having to cancel the trip for previous obligations.
Fantastic for Father's Day: Instead of a one-time opportunity, give Dad this NFL Titanium ID Bracelet so that he can feel like he's a part of his favorite team every single day.
Perfect Papa Presentation: Tie up the bracelet inside of a bandanna with his team's logo instead of using wrapping paper. That way, he'll have something to wipe his sweaty brow during a very close game!
For the Well Groomed Guy
A Dud for Dad: People can be picky when it comes to their personal scent, so steer clear of fragrances for Father's Day.
Fantastic for Father's Day: A dad who loves to take care of his appearance will totally appreciate a great shave kit, which has all the tools he needs for smooth skin beyond belief.
Perfect Papa Presentation: Place the present on the bathroom sink and write "Happy Father's Day" in shaving cream on the mirror for a pretty neat surprise.
For the Gamer
A Dud for Dad: While manuals and tip books are nice, they're no fun to receive on Father's Day, and there are tons of other gifts that a gamer would love more.
Fantastic for Father's Day: Any gamer guy would love a new system to try, and the Nintendo DS Lite is an inexpensive and exciting gift to give.
Perfect Papa Presentation: Wake up early on Father's Day and get the system going while he's sleeping so that he sees his present working as soon as he walks into the room.
For the Grandfather
A Dud for Dad: Grandpa probably already feels a bit old, so any humorous "over the hill" gag gifts should be left off for this special occasion.
Fantastic for Father's Day: They say that being a grandfather is actually being a grander father, so what better way to help him excel at showing off his prized grandchildren than by gifting him with a Mini Digital Photo Viewer that can also carry his keys.
Perfect Papa Presentation: Surprise him even further by pre-loading the viewer with tons of family pictures that he can frequently flip through.
For the Sharp Dresser
A Dud for Dad: Your carefully-clothed father won't be pleased with anything fake or cheap, so if you can't afford something nice, stick with a gift card that can be used towards something he can actually wear.
Fantastic for Father's Day: Splurge on the one you love with these Diamond & Sterling Silver Cufflinks that he's certain to love and use.
Perfect Papa Presentation: Buy a beautiful card, have all of the kids sign it, and stick the cufflinks through the paper card for a unique and unexpected gifting experience.
Want more gifting do's? Don't miss our Father's Day Event >>
Comments page 1 of 3
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April said 6-07-2008 @4:07PM
You forgot to include the commited father. We make my husband a T-shirt every year. He's a firefighter and we used a picture of our girls in front of the fire truck. He loves to wear it to meetings and while he's away for training. It was very easy and simple. I got special computer paper and down loaded the software for free. We washed it and he wore it to a class the next day. A steak dinner hot off the grill made the girls feel right at home they even decorated the cake.
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charlie said 6-08-2008 @10:06AM
What WOMAN wrote this article? It is WAY OFF! I think she over-thought all of these gift ideas. How about asking DAD what he wants. Guys will tell you exactly what it is THEY WANT! GEEEZ! It's really simple people!
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Rachel said 6-08-2008 @1:28PM
What about the kids that don't live with their Dads? Any ideas of what I could get my dad, or do for my dad that lives 2000 miles away?
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Andrea said 6-08-2008 @2:14PM
DAD's will appreaciate anything you get them
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Brandon said 6-08-2008 @2:47PM
Another example of what happens when women write articles on what they think men want. Completely off base.....
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Sandra Black said 6-08-2008 @2:48PM
It sounds like these "hot" items are the same ones that aren't selling at the "Sharper Image" stores that are soon to go out-of-business... no one needs this crap.... and no one is buying it, or their stores wouldn't be going bust!
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Sam said 6-08-2008 @2:53PM
For the most part, this is one of the worst "tip" articles I have ever read. First of all, almost every idea warns you against buying a more inexpensive gift and directs you to a much pricier item. Not everyone can afford to spend upwards of $100 on a father's day gift. The gardener idea of burying the tools in a pot of fertilizer was clearly written by someone who has no idea what fertilizer is actually like. For the sports fan, there may be some fathers who would consider wearing a bracelet but it is highly doubtful that they are the same fathers who give a lick about the local football team. On a positive note, the hammock is a great idea.
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aida Bergman said 6-08-2008 @3:02PM
First of all, my (married) daughter and I enjoyed this article. But for "Charlie",
replyyou must not get many gifts, because the point of gift-giving is to
SURPRISE the recipient. Otherwise, Dads might as well buy their own presents.
For our Dads and GrandDads, we are going to enjoy the look of pleasure when they open their surprise gifts on Father's Day, knowing that we took the time
to find the perfect gift for them!
PS The article only gave "some" suggestions for "some" men!
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barbara said 6-08-2008 @3:07PM
Actually the hammock isn't a good idea either. It has no back support and you can only sleep in it- no reading or visiting with anyone. Get dad a lawn chair that is more comfortable.
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godwilllgo said 6-08-2008 @3:05PM
Someone was really out-of-touch when they wrote this article! I'm a father and new grandfather and the only things I really like was the hammock (I already have one) and the dock for my Ipod (I already have that, too) Thee wasn't much effort put in this article! This makes me think of cancelling my $10.00 a month for AOL!
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Anousheh Fard said 6-08-2008 @3:09PM
I thought this article was pretty good.
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Bob Johnson said 6-08-2008 @3:16PM
Perfect Papa Presentation: Copy pages from a book of sheet music and wrap the box in it for a package that hits just the right note.
replyExcept for the minor fact that this is a violation of the copyright law, not a bad idea
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peanut butter said 6-08-2008 @3:18PM
umm my dad would never go along with any of these things! and its a good idea to buy colonge for fathers if you already know which one he likes!
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Denis said 6-08-2008 @3:19PM
Don't forget to tell your Dad "You Love Him!" I never even got a "Hug" from my Father.
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Drew Dickinson said 6-08-2008 @3:25PM
How about getting to do something that I want to do?
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Linda said 6-08-2008 @3:25PM
I have to say this article ranks up there with most Aol Shopping ones. In this day and age, how about prepaid gasoline cards so Dad and Grandpa can actually use that boat, 4 wheeler etc..
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lyric said 6-08-2008 @3:45PM
What guy would want a GPS navigation device if he doesn't like using maps?
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Dina Richards said 6-08-2008 @3:42PM
What about low-income familes? I work with 8 and 9 year olds in special education. They can't even dream about GPS systems. Think how badly they feel when they see other kids giving their dads outrageous gifts.Why can't we encourage kids to make dad a card or give him a hug? (Which is ALL Father's Day should require.)These children feel sorely inadequate. Advertiser's need to stop pushing people to buy expensive gifts for such holidays. All the suggestions in your article are for people with money(or credit cards) to burn.
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steve said 6-08-2008 @4:01PM
people, people, people. ya'll are making much ado about not much. if my daughter gives me a card (homemade or otherwise) and inside she tells me that she loves me.......... it gets me, "right here" in my heart.
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steve said 6-08-2008 @3:59PM
people, people, people. ya'll are making much ado about not much. if my daughter gives me a card (homemade or otherwise) and inside she tells me that she loves me.......... it gets me, "right here" in my heart.
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