With mother’s day a success, I send my thanks to the many mums around the internet, whose valuable advice helped me avoid a few pitfalls. So I thought the ideal way to show my appreciation would be to share my insight to help anyone who regularly struggles with father’s day.
My name is Joe and I work for The Great Gift Company. I understand just how awkward us men can be to buy for. We have an annoying habit of not disclosing what we want. And while we may be easily pleased, it takes much more to really astound us. Hopefully with this quick guide you can get a better understanding of the male psyche, and make it easier for you to certainly impress him this father’s day.
Spend Time Not Money
A good dad should be the dependable rock in your life. As a result we tend to be as rational beings as possible, thinking long and hard before shelling out our hard earned cash. Remember when you tried to charm money off him when you were younger? A well intentioned dad would always ask you questions, and despite your irresistible charisma, would make you justify your spending.
Whether you are buying for your father, or the father of your children, they are likely to have similar attitudes. The best dads are not going to be impressed by lavish spending. While many a people say ‘oh you shouldn’t have’ as an empty but polite gesture, your dad probably means it. Now you have children of your own it is unwise to be over indulging. Instead your dad may appreciate something that is well thought through, based on a deep understanding of him. Which brings us on to..
Use Your Imagination
It’s the time of year when our TV screens are littered with adverts claiming to have ‘the perfect gift for father’s day’. 99% of the time they couldn’t be further from the truth. Nothing says ‘I put as little thought into this as possible’ as a branded toiletry gift set or a compilation CD. For reasons only known to the people who sell them, we seem to be bombarded every year by music adverts such as ‘Dad’s Rock’ and ’20 Air Guitar Classics’. Showcasing the best of Queen and Led Zeppelin, when many fathers today would have come of age listening to Oasis and The Stone Roses.
Every dad is different and no one gift is ideal for them all. So when looking for the perfect gift, don’t be tempted by anything which claims to be the perfect gift.
Avoid The Obvious
So you’ve decided to do a bit of research on your old man? And let’s say for example he likes fishing, golf and 1960’s progressive rock. Dodge the temptation to buy him a new rod, golf club or pair of headphones without prior consultation. Before you splash out on that expensive 5 iron, that the man in the shop said would improve his game drastically, have a chat with him first.
When we shop for new golf clubs, or anything that is essential to our hobby, we have been known to lose days consulting with friends, practicing in the shop, and stalking anyone with a lower handicap than ourselves. Though we may moan and groan every time you drag us around your local shopping centre shoe shopping, we are liable to to be just as indecisive as you when it comes to such important matters. We put a lot of effort into choosing such products, making sure they are tailored to our needs, then develop deep relationships with them, even long after their sell by date. It is possible this relationship will continue while your gift sits in the cupboard unloved. So while you should not rule this option out, it’s best to talk it through first.
Do Your Homework
If you don’t want to spoil the surprise, you’re going to have to be more sneaky with your investigations. While the golf club may be a no go area, there are plenty of other accessories to explore. The ability to improve his game should be beyond your reach, but that doesn’t mean to say you can’t brighten his day. When buying for women, a crafty male will ask her friends for her opinion. However you can afford to be a bit more direct, for all our merits we tend not to be as alert to when people are fishing for gift ideas.
Stick Together
Fathers day gifts, just like birthdays or Christmas, should not be used to score points against your siblings. Stick to the family orientated principles of father’s day and avoid competing with each other to impress him. Many of us may be flattered by the effort. However a great dad may overlook this and value family unity over anything else.
With this in mind, it may be a good idea to pool your time, resources and ideas to deliver something that will really wow him. By working together you can show him that you put a lot of thought and effort in, and show him just how treasured he is.
Joe is an expert shopping blogger having written about a range of shopping related topics over the years.
