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Father’s Day is coming up fast! So it feels like a good time for some Father’s Day ideas. Let’s roll!
Breakfast in bed: I kind of hate how this is usually thought of as, or reserved for, a Mother’s Day thing. Dads work hard too, whether that’s at the office or parenting or both. They deserve a little pampering sometimes. I mean, like … don’t we all?
Man cave day: There’s really not a ton of sports on these days aside from baseball (NBA/NHL now over), but give him a day of “man cave” time. I don’t care if he’s watching his favorite 1980s movies, building a cabinet (which might benefit the whole household), or drinking double IPAs all day. Let him have it. (Especially if he did something equivalent on Mother’s Day.)
Have the kids make gifts: In this era of Amazon, it’s so easy to go online, click once, get a tie/book or whatever, get it sent to the house, and present it Sunday morning. Thing is, that’s kind of lazy. The “holiday” is called Father’s Day. That means he is being celebrated because he’s a father. So ideally the kids should be involved in the creation of the gift somehow. Art projects are a tried and true, [My dad still has my baby footprint pun-art that he treasures.] But there are other cool ideas too. You can have them make a video or grab some of his favorite things and have a photo shoot. Maybe have older kids research what the dad’s name means (like old-school meaning of the name, i.e. where did it come from?) and make a poster about it. You can do research on the meaning of names online.
Make dinner together: Again, pretty easy to get a reservation in Boston or wherever you live. You can do it right from your phone. But making dinner together can involve the kids, all of you, and a shared activity. You know your dad best, would he prefer to have a night out, a night in or a night off?
Father’s Day sex: This might be the top of his Father’s Day list. If you’re going to celebrate him as a father, well, might as well consider the act that made him a father. We have this narrative in society that guys are obsessed with sex, and maybe in some cases, that’s true. But this one ideally benefits you both. Parents get caught up in being, well, parents! Grab some lingerie, try a roll play, focus on areas you may have been neglecting.
Make him a mixtape: That’s a throwback, right? If you know his favorite music, or you and the kids do you can put together a playlist on Spotify or grab an old CD burner if your car still plays CDs!
Outdoor activity: It’s probably going to be hot in many parts of America on Sunday. But consider doing something outside (if it doesn’t impact the man cave idea above). You could go for a hike (morning?), hit the zoo, hit a museum, maybe see a movie, walk around a downtown area, park picnic, etc. Just consider getting out of the house — if he wants to. Talk to the kids beforehand that today is daddy’s day and HE gets to pick the activity!
Tell him what he means to you: Say something nice in the morning about his role in the family as provider, protector, etc. Mean it. Be open, honest, and transparent.
Bonus: What happens if the father isn’t around? This is going to vary by situation and family, but try to involve the father if (a) the father wants to be involved and (b) the kid(s) is ready for that involvement. If your child doesn’t have a dad you might want to consider celebrating an uncle, grandpa or other figure that they look up to. We have some gay and lesbian couples that each “claim” Father’s or Mother’s Day so they each get a special day!
No matter what you end up doing, the fact that you are looking up ideas means you’re already on your way to making it a great day!
