Father’s Day: Ideas From a Long Term Dad

Whilst a dad may maintain they don’t want any fussing around on father’s day, the truth is they want all the attention, love, and praise you can muster. And rightly so, dads are always meant to be stoic and strong, and rarely get a chance to enjoy the praise and glory of fatherhood. So what better time to let them know their efforts are always appreciated?

This being said, it’s harder than it sounds. Dads can be hard to read, and very rarely let on about how they are really feeling, so you could be stuck on ideas for what to do for father’s day. Never fear though, as a well-qualified and seasoned dad myself, I know what we’d like and I’m going to speak for all dad for a brief moment!

I was never much of booze drinker growing up, but I’ve notices a renaissance amongst many of my dad friend. We've all but abandoned our original reasoning or prejudices against alcohol. Whilst I understand it’s certainly not for everyone, I think something boozy is a reliable way to make dad jolly on father’s day.

People can be very particular about what booze they drink, so it may be worth doing a bit of reconnaissance to learn more about your dad’s tastes. Generally speaking though, he’ll most likely choose a blue label whiskey or full-bodied port over a six pack Bacardi Breezers, so don’t worry if you don’t get a full picture of exact likes and dislikes and resort to common sense.

Another safe bet is a weekend away for your dear dad. Now, he may protest and insist he is far too busy to consider such a thing, but this is all a deflective ploy and you must simply insist that he take a break from the buys day-to-day of dad life; there’s no way he can turn that down!

As for where to go, just don’t make it too far as this will defeat the whole relaxation purpose. Speaking from my own dad experience, I’d rather go somewhere nice and local for a father’s day treat than go miles to somewhere that could be disappointing. Does your dad live in London? Cotswold holiday cottages might be suitable, or a weekend at the Lake District if further up north. Either way, aim for something different.

I’ve always loved experience days, and have resorted to gifting one when I can’t think of anything else. These are packages which contain some kind of full-service day out, whether its laps around racetrack in a Lamborghini or lunch in an abandoned underground WWII shelter; whatever floats your boat.

Speaking of boats, last father’s day I was given a sailing experience day by my dear son and daughter. I wasn’t expecting much at first, but it has since created a passion within me for all things marine and I’ve been regularly boating almost ever since. This proves you never know what kind of far reaching benefits a gift will have.

This is potentially one of the cheapest options, but also one of the most effective. Every dad has a hobby, and very rarely do we share similar interests in this regard, but for one day, showing a keen interest and desire to participate in one of your dad’s hobbies will make his day a thousand times over.

So suck it up and get on with painting those historical miniatures, or detecting metal on a sandy beach, or whatever it is that dad wants to do! You never know, you might end up embracing something you never knew you liked, and you’ll already have someone to enjoy it with.