Perfect ways to celebrate your dad on Father's Day

 

Father's Day is the day we collectively set aside to honor and thank the our dads. It's a chance to swing the spotlight on him, give him a day off, and maybe get him something to show you care. And that's the part that many of us struggle with. Dad's can be notoriously difficult to shop for.

The silly thing is, chances are your dad doesn't really want you to spend anything on him anyway! You don't raise a household expecting gifts in return, and many dads would be just as happy seeing you get something for yourself with the money instead. It can be a frustrating position to be in when you just want to do something for him for once!

This year, try something new. Instead of getting him yet another multi-tool that will be thrown in a drawer and forgotten, or the dreaded pack of socks, consider celebrating him in these alternative ways. They'll speak more to what a father craves than any gift you could give him.

Instead of just running by the local Hallmark's and picking up a generic card this year, consider writing up something personal. This can be the body inside a normal card, or a separate letter – the medium doesn't matter so long as it is from the heart.

Let him know how proud of him you are and how much you still look up to him. Take a minute to share some of your favorite memories growing up, or to highlight a few examples of when he was really there for you and made all the difference in the world. You don't need to be maudlin or overly sappy if that isn't your (or his) thing, even sharing a few inside jokes will be enough to put a smile on his face.

It doesn't matter how tough or stoic your dad typically is, a heartwarming message written from one of their children will always melt his heart. What's more, it's something he can hang on to and file away. A little physical memento that his children care for him and appreciate him. That's priceless.

We all have hobbies, passions, and interests. Chances are, your dad has more than a few niche hobbies that he usually does by himself. The stereotypical ones might include sports, racing, and golf, but let's give our dads credit – they're into way more stuff than that! Whether your dad is a yard sale bargain hunter, a collector of vintage tin robots, or an amateur science-fiction writer, find something he loves and make a day of it.

One of the fundamental ways of showing a person you care is by trying to understand them and see things through their eyes. It doesn't matter if you don't care about a particular hobby or don't find it interesting, you do care that your dad likes it, and that means something to him. 

If your dad is into something particularly boring or uninteresting, just close your eyes and remember all the dance practices, chess club meets, and arcades you probably dragged him to when you were young. You owe him one!

As we get older and spread out to our own families, it gets harder and harder to coral all the different siblings, spouses, and kids together in one place. It's difficult, but if you can, try to get everyone together this Father's Day.

Nothing hammers home the impact and legacy a father has had than seeing all of his family in one place, at one table. Whether it's just you siblings and parents enjoying a meal at the old family kitchen table, or a whole crew of uncles, aunts, grandkids, and more spread out in the backyard, it will mean something to him. A good dad makes sacrifices his whole adult life to build up a happy and healthy family, let yours see his accomplishments all in one place this year.