Here Comes Father's Day

Posted by Jennifer W. Miner May 31, 2007

Father's Day is in a couple of weeks - which is a good thing, because now gifts and a little attention can be bestowed upon the supposed figurehead of the family. Let's face it; after all the love and declamations of gratitude that moms get for Mother's Day, dads really ought to get their fair shakes a month or so later, right?

I've always thought it was amusing that Mother's Day gifts usually involve time away from the kids - home bath treat escapism, trips to luxury day spas, etc. - while Father's Day sees more time with the kids. This is obviously a holdover from days past, when more mothers stayed home and more fathers took more of the classic "hands off" approach to parenting. But there's been a huge cultural shift regarding rigid parenting roles (if they were ever so rigid as '50s TV would have us think). Dads have really taken up a larger, more constant role in their growing children's lives, by and large, and this has benefited both the children and the fathers themselves.

This year, don't get your dad a tie. Actually, don't get him a tie, any year. You know it's a cop-out gift, he knows it's a cop-out gift, so you're not fooling anyone. Instead, think about splurging (your siblings can kick in for this) for a trip. Real "mancation" quality time away, such as a father-son vacation, certainly provides better memories than do cufflinks, or does a mug with an amusing expression on it. And if plans are in the works for a romantic getaway for mom and dad, or even a babymoon if the father and mother-to-be are just starting down the path towards being parents, then there are always gifts to accessorize some lovely luxury travel. I don't mean luggage tags or souvenir t-shirts, though: Great travel gift ideas for men range from useful to pure fun, but all are certainly thoughtful. Not to say that a toddler's carefully drawn handprint won't melt a dad's heart, but - if you're reading this - you're not a toddler anymore. Step up to the plate and give a great Father's Day gift.