Parenting Pointers: Father's Day Gift Ideas

Qualipedia founder and gift giving expert, Dawn Bryan, offers up some wonderful last minute gift ideas that are sure to thrill any father.

               For the Fathers Who Like to Garden

⁃ Give a subscription to gardening magazine or collection of gardening catalogs with gift certificate   

⁃ Buy an assortment of flower bulbs and offer to help him plant them

⁃ Purchase knee pads and rubber boots for those rainy summer days

⁃ Donate a tree to a local park in his name

For the Elderly or Disabled Fathers

⁃ Get him convenience items like: zipper pullers, cutting board with suction cups, one-hand can openers, telephone amplifier, lighted magnifying glass, ramps, or medicine dispensers to name a few

⁃ Give him some comfort items: sleep sound machine, car seat posture cushions, electric foot massager, shower/bath bench, or flannel sheets.

For New or Soon to be Fathers

⁃ Make baby's handprint/footprint from plaster of paris

⁃ Buy a video camera to help capture all those first moments babies have along the way

⁃ Give dad two bats and two baseball caps--large and very small with a note from the new bundle of joy

⁃ Put together a collection of children's books for bedtime reading

For the Hard Working Fathers

⁃ Offer to wash his car for him

⁃ Buy him some delicious steaks or live lobsters and offer to cook it for him

⁃ Fill a basket with his favorite foods or homemade cookies

⁃ Frame a special award or picture

For the Fathers Who Like to Travel

⁃ Buy him some language tapes or pocket translator

⁃ Give him Zagat's guides for different cities

⁃ Buy him an E-Reader or a gift certificate for online books to download

For the All Around Special Fathers

⁃ Purchase a boxed set of his all time favorite TV show/Movies and some popcorn

⁃ Put together materials and instructions for a project you can do together

⁃ Buy him tickets to his favorite sports team with a jersey or cap

⁃ Simply write him a poem, bake him his favorite dessert, surprise him with breakfast in bed, or just make him laugh!

Whatever gift you decide to give, just showing your dad you care will surely brighten his day.