The days of giving dad a paper weight, a fishing pole or a hideous tie are over. While such a gesture shows your thoughtfulness and will likely be much appreciated by dad, the most precious gift you can give is not always something that can be wrapped up in a pretty box with colorful ribbons, but rather something that shows you're gifting your time and energy.
Dads and other important father figures in our lives deserve to enjoy their special day not opening yet another coffee mug but instead being showered with thoughtful acknowledgements that he can treasure for not only Father’s Day but for the rest of the year as well.
Mighty Mommy shares nine fresh and insightful ways that your family can show dad lots of love and respect this year on Father’s Day.
Nine Fresh Ways to Celebrate Father’s Day
- Write a Letter of Love and Thanks
- Take a Mystery Ride
- Play Restaurant
- Donate Time or Treasure
- Take In Nature
- Allow for Alone Time
- Meditation Tapes
- Create a Story
- Dad’s Comfort Toolbox
Here they are in closer detail.
1. Write a Letter of Love and Thanks
I have always been crazy for written notes. Whether it be a funny greeting card that I jot a few thoughts down on and send off to a friend, or the lengthy letters I used to exchange with my pen pal, I absolutely adore and cherish anything someone has taken their heartfelt time to write out and send to me, letting me know they care.
When I first became a mom, I started a tradition for my new baby, and then the following seven kids each year on Mother’s Day. I write a letter to each of my children where I recall a few special highlights I had the pleasure of experiencing by being his/her mother. After my kids read their letters I collect them and save each one in a special keepsake box. When the time is right (for instance, when my oldest daughter got married last summer) I will give them their box of letters.
This year, instead of perusing the card aisle for dad’s card, why not do something similar and write him a letter of love and thanks where you focus on a couple of special memories you shared together this past year? Maybe you, too, can turn this into a tradition where you save these sentiments and the two of you can read them together in the years to come.
2. Take a Mystery Ride
With the busy lives we all lead today, life happens rather quickly and in many cases, we plan nearly everything we do because we have to fit so much into our overscheduled calendars. This year think outside the box and plan a little adventure for dad that will be a fun surprise.
When my kids were really young, we loved surprising them by taking them on mystery rides. Some of these trips were daylong excursions to a zoo they’d never been to or an amusement park in a neighboring state. Other times it was just to try a new ice cream place in town. Gather up your kids and brainstorm a fun place you can take dad for a little road trip that will keep him guessing right up to the end. You’ll have a blast planning it, and he’ll be thrilled to have a total mystery location to look forward to at the very end of the ride.
3. Play Restaurant
If going out to dinner on Father’s Day isn’t in the cards, bring the restaurant experience right into your own home. Create a menu on the computer for dad to order from. I actually used to do this for my kids when they were younger, especially to cure their boredom on a rainy day. Choose three of dad’s favorite meals, shop ahead of time so you have the ingredients on hand, and then let him order his food choices. Don’t forget his favorite beverages and dessert! When it comes time to pay the bill, present him with a fun card or something else he can open that everyone in the family signs stating how much he is loved and appreciated.
4. Donate Time or Treasure
Show dad you care by donating to a charity or cause that is close to his heart. If dad has a regular charity that he loves to support, instead of buying him the usual dozen golf balls, make a donation in his name instead. Maybe he has always wanted to volunteer his time at a local animal shelter or doing landscaping at your church. No need to make a monetary donation, but instead offer to volunteer with him for one of the causes he’d like to help with. If he doesn’t have a specific cause he’s passionate about, Father’s Day is a wonderful time to pick one as a family, and then commit to spending time together a few times a year in honor of all the great things dad does for your family.
5. Take In Nature
Make Father’s Day one of those rare days the entire family unplugs and puts their electronic devices, including cell phones on the back burner. Instead, spend time with Dad and Mother Nature by taking a hike, heading to the park or beach, or even going on a picnic. Get back to basics by enjoying fresh air and marveling in the gifts of warm sunshine and balmy breezes as you connect with Dad with no electronic distractions.
Quiet time spent with one’s self is a gift we can all use on a regular basis, not just on holidays.
6. Allow For Alone Time
One of the most sacred gifts I would receive each year on Mother’s Day was the gift of alone time. I had a ritual every year where I would indulge in buying five or six of my favorite magazines, a small box of delicious truffles, and a split of champagne. In the late afternoon on Mother’s Day, I’d retreat to my bedroom and enjoy my treats and magazines without a care in the world. It was pure heaven! Dads deserve alone time just as much as moms do, so encourage that he sneak off for a nap or to the family room, all by himself, where he can watch anything he wants on TV.
Quiet time spent with one’s self is a gift we can all use on a regular basis, not just on holidays.
7. Meditation Tapes
I was always intrigued (and honestly, a little envious) when I heard people discuss their love of meditation. As a super busy mom of eight kids close in age, I thought I’d have a better chance teaching our dog how to balance a checkbook before I’d ever be able to indulge in meditation. That all changed, however, several years ago when I sat next to a total stranger at my son’s baseball game. We exchanged pleasantries and within 15 minutes, she shared her love of meditating and how it had changed her life in so many positive ways that she became a certified holistic life coach.
Who do you think became one of her first clients? You got it: me! Soon after I became addicted to the practice of meditating and to this day, I’m still going strong.
One of my favorite ways to meditate is using guided meditation tapes. Mindfulness expert Julie Potiker, author of the new book “Life Falls Apart, but You Don’t Have To: Mindful Methods for Staying Calm In the Midst of Chaos.” Offers three great guided meditation tapes in her article What Is Mindfulness Anyway?: A Closer Look At What Mindfulness Is (And Isn’t). A gift such as this can bring some much-needed calm and peace into dad's hectic life, and is something we moms and kids can benefit from as well.
8. Create a Story
When I had extra time on my hands, one of my favorite ways to spend it was to create scrapbooks. With eight kids, I have enough material and photos to work with for the rest of my life! As much as I enjoy scrapbooking, it’s quite time-consuming especially for a person like myself who thrives on creativity and agonizes over constructing the perfect page.
What I love most about scrapbooking is that my kids are going to have keepsake books to share with their kids someday. These colorful pages adorned with stickers and die cuts are a piece of their history.
With time being such a challenge for parents these days, I was thrilled to find another clever way to preserve memories. Thanks to a company called StoryWorth you or someone in your family can write their own story, a week at a time. The beauty of StoryWorth is that they send you prompts via e-mail once a week. The questions are answered by the “writer” every week and then after a year their story is completed and bound into an amazing hardcover book. What a great gift for dads this year! It’s totally unique and will be a treasured keepsake all without using a single glue stick to compile!
9. Dad’s Comfort Toolbox
Dads work hard! They are providers, husbands and partners, confidants, caregivers, coaches, cheerleaders, chauffeurs, and so much more. The stereotypical vision of a dad is a strong, confidant fearless leader of the family. While that’s true in many cases, dads are also human beings who have days when not everything goes so well. In fact, some of dad's days can just plain stink.
For those days when dad is struggling, have some of his favorite comfort items stashed away in a toolbox so he can easily seek a bit of relief. Items might include his favorite coffee or candy, a book of inspiration, a reminder letter telling him how important he is to the family and how much he is loved, favorite family photos, a liquor nip, or a bottle of his fave cologne. Make a list of fun and relaxing items that you could include and gift dad with his very own comfort toolbox that he can escape to when he needs a little pick-me-up after a long, hard day.
How will you celebrate Dad this Father’s Day? Share your thoughts in the comments section at quickanddirtytips.com/mighty-mommy, post your ideas on the Mighty Mommy Facebook page. or email me at mommy@quickanddirtytips.com. Visit my family-friendly boards at Pinterest.com/MightyMommyQDT
Image ©
Tidak ada komentar:
Posting Komentar