What are some good gifts for a first father's day?
June 10, 2010 11:52 AM Subscribe
I'm 6 months pregnant with our first and trying to come up with a gift for my husband's 'first' father's day. Suggestions?
My parents split when I was young and I don't really have a great deal of experience with father's day. I just want to give my husband a nice father's day gift ($50 - $100), or several small ones, or yes, even something homemade, to show him how much I love him, get him even more excited about our soon-to-be-born daughter (if that's possible) and let him know that I think he'll be the BEST. DAD. EVER.
If it helps, he's a 'manly man' who doesn't read or like tech/gadget stuff. He doesn't spend money on himself and for birthday's and christmas, I've resorted to giving him home depot gift cards because the main things he really covets are tools. A couple of things I have thought of are a SuperDad t-shirt and a children's book about fathers and daughters that he can read to her.
My parents split when I was young and I don't really have a great deal of experience with father's day. I just want to give my husband a nice father's day gift ($50 - $100), or several small ones, or yes, even something homemade, to show him how much I love him, get him even more excited about our soon-to-be-born daughter (if that's possible) and let him know that I think he'll be the BEST. DAD. EVER.
If it helps, he's a 'manly man' who doesn't read or like tech/gadget stuff. He doesn't spend money on himself and for birthday's and christmas, I've resorted to giving him home depot gift cards because the main things he really covets are tools. A couple of things I have thought of are a SuperDad t-shirt and a children's book about fathers and daughters that he can read to her.
If you were having a boy, I'd recommend Rules for my Unborn Son
You can get a general idea of it over at the book's website. It still might not be a terrible idea.
posted by backwards guitar at 12:15 PM on June 10, 2010
You can get a general idea of it over at the book's website. It still might not be a terrible idea.
posted by backwards guitar at 12:15 PM on June 10, 2010
Your ideas are really good, but my honest advice? Give him a day to go hang with his friends and get ripping drunk and watch sports. He won't have many more of those days in the next 18 years.
posted by stupidsexyFlanders at 12:21 PM on June 10, 2010 [9 favorites]
posted by stupidsexyFlanders at 12:21 PM on June 10, 2010 [9 favorites]
Give him a day to go hang with his friends
This.
I new my wife was "the one," when I lucked into winning a set of courtside seats at an NBA game. First, she insisted that I should take a buddy that would appreciate them more than she would. When the day arrived, it looked like unforeseen circumstances would prevent me from actually using the tickets, and she moved heaven and earth to ensure that I was free and clear from the obligations.
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 12:27 PM on June 10, 2010 [2 favorites]
This.
I new my wife was "the one," when I lucked into winning a set of courtside seats at an NBA game. First, she insisted that I should take a buddy that would appreciate them more than she would. When the day arrived, it looked like unforeseen circumstances would prevent me from actually using the tickets, and she moved heaven and earth to ensure that I was free and clear from the obligations.
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 12:27 PM on June 10, 2010 [2 favorites]
Working from ssF's suggestion — wait until his daughter can mark father's day. This is his last non-father father's day. Give the man some space. He's going to want it later no matter how excited a father-to-be claims to be.
posted by Dick Paris at 12:28 PM on June 10, 2010 [2 favorites]
posted by Dick Paris at 12:28 PM on June 10, 2010 [2 favorites]
My baby's dad would like to have a day to go fuck around and watch sports.
posted by k8t at 12:34 PM on June 10, 2010
posted by k8t at 12:34 PM on June 10, 2010
First, congratulations to you both!
If he doesn't have a decent digital camera, then now is the time to get one. In my house it's Daddy's job (that's me!) to photograph the munchkins and document their progress for ourselves and our family. That will cost you more than $50 to $100, though. I realize this is a tech/gadget-y suggestion, but your daughter's first few days, months and years will go by in a flash and he's going to want to be able return to those memories in the form of videos and pictures.
And... don't laugh now... a hammock. If you have a backyard, room for one and a place to hang it, it's a fantastic, relaxing gift. He'll appreciate having the sanctuary.
But above all, I have to second and third the folks here who say give him a day just for himself. If he's anything like me, he's concerned about how much his life will change in 3 months. A break is a great idea. :)
posted by zarq at 12:36 PM on June 10, 2010 [2 favorites]
If he doesn't have a decent digital camera, then now is the time to get one. In my house it's Daddy's job (that's me!) to photograph the munchkins and document their progress for ourselves and our family. That will cost you more than $50 to $100, though. I realize this is a tech/gadget-y suggestion, but your daughter's first few days, months and years will go by in a flash and he's going to want to be able return to those memories in the form of videos and pictures.
And... don't laugh now... a hammock. If you have a backyard, room for one and a place to hang it, it's a fantastic, relaxing gift. He'll appreciate having the sanctuary.
But above all, I have to second and third the folks here who say give him a day just for himself. If he's anything like me, he's concerned about how much his life will change in 3 months. A break is a great idea. :)
posted by zarq at 12:36 PM on June 10, 2010 [2 favorites]
zarq: "If he doesn't have a decent digital camera, then now is the time to get one. In my house it's Daddy's job (that's me!) to photograph the munchkins and document their progress for ourselves and our family. That will cost you more than $50 to $100, though."
That depends, I suppose, on your definition of "decent." A daddy camera is clearly point-and-shoot territory: he's got to have something to stick in his pocket. I rock the Samsung L100, which will go for $73 refurbed on Amazon. 8.2 megapixels, rechargable USB battery, 2x manual zoom and lots of adjustments to toy with. Importantly, it's got a timer, with both a two second and a ten second setting. It's a serviceable camera that does just as well on quick auto snapshot mode as on toy-with-all-the-settings mode. I heartily recommend it.
posted by l33tpolicywonk at 12:41 PM on June 10, 2010
That depends, I suppose, on your definition of "decent." A daddy camera is clearly point-and-shoot territory: he's got to have something to stick in his pocket. I rock the Samsung L100, which will go for $73 refurbed on Amazon. 8.2 megapixels, rechargable USB battery, 2x manual zoom and lots of adjustments to toy with. Importantly, it's got a timer, with both a two second and a ten second setting. It's a serviceable camera that does just as well on quick auto snapshot mode as on toy-with-all-the-settings mode. I heartily recommend it.
posted by l33tpolicywonk at 12:41 PM on June 10, 2010
I like Neil Gaiman's Blueberry Girl myself. :) My husband was definitely eager to have his first Father's Day marked and to do a family thing, not go out and get drunk with his friends, which he could do on many OTHER days. I got him the Complete Beatrix Potter, books he remembered fondly from his own childhood and was looking forward to sharing with his kids, but which we didn't have copies of. They were a big hit.
posted by Eyebrows McGee at 12:55 PM on June 10, 2010
posted by Eyebrows McGee at 12:55 PM on June 10, 2010
You may already have this, but my husband totally dug having his own diaper bag, in the blue of his favorite team, and not having to share mine. They make a variety of diaper bags for men (see here, f'ex, but there's tons out there!) in styles from messenger bag to packpack, in plain black or camo green or skulls and crossbones or college sports logos. Load it up with some baby necessities (diaper rash cream, a stocked wipes case, a laundry stain pen, an "I love daddy" bib) if you want. I swear my husband just about strutted when taking the new baby out with his daddy diaper bag fully stocked and having all the necessities immediately to hand.
posted by Eyebrows McGee at 1:02 PM on June 10, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by Eyebrows McGee at 1:02 PM on June 10, 2010 [1 favorite]
How about a book with projects he can do for your daughter (like building a playhouse or something tha the can do with his tools and have some alone guy time, but still tied into the baby)?
posted by WeekendJen at 1:04 PM on June 10, 2010 [2 favorites]
posted by WeekendJen at 1:04 PM on June 10, 2010 [2 favorites]
And you should also order him some chicken wings and nachos.
posted by WeekendJen at 1:05 PM on June 10, 2010
posted by WeekendJen at 1:05 PM on June 10, 2010
Yeah, wings and nachos! And would it kill you to give him a back rub? ;-)
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 1:07 PM on June 10, 2010
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 1:07 PM on June 10, 2010
Response by poster: Give him a day to go hang with his friends
Huh. I was going to say that he doesn't have any friends within the province, but then I remembered that there is one a few hours out of town. If I could manage to get the two of them together with some beer and chicken wings and sports, that would be awesome...My fella definitely doesn't get enough guy time. Thanks!
Do keep it coming. I love the playhouse building idea, and the daddy diaper bag.
posted by kitcat at 1:12 PM on June 10, 2010
Huh. I was going to say that he doesn't have any friends within the province, but then I remembered that there is one a few hours out of town. If I could manage to get the two of them together with some beer and chicken wings and sports, that would be awesome...My fella definitely doesn't get enough guy time. Thanks!
Do keep it coming. I love the playhouse building idea, and the daddy diaper bag.
posted by kitcat at 1:12 PM on June 10, 2010
I rock the Samsung L100, which will go for $73 refurbed on Amazon. 8.2 megapixels, rechargable USB battery, 2x manual zoom and lots of adjustments to toy with. Importantly, it's got a timer, with both a two second and a ten second setting.
Nice! I use this one: a Canon Powershot Elph SD1000 which can usually be found refurbished for around $100. This is the newer version, for $204. With an 8GB sdhc card, it holds enough photo and video capacity for just about anything. However, the SD1000 does not charge via USB. You have to use an alternate charger.
posted by zarq at 1:44 PM on June 10, 2010
Nice! I use this one: a Canon Powershot Elph SD1000 which can usually be found refurbished for around $100. This is the newer version, for $204. With an 8GB sdhc card, it holds enough photo and video capacity for just about anything. However, the SD1000 does not charge via USB. You have to use an alternate charger.
posted by zarq at 1:44 PM on June 10, 2010
Take him out for his favorite breakfast or brunch. Then give him the day to hang out with friends.
posted by hot_monster at 1:58 PM on June 10, 2010
posted by hot_monster at 1:58 PM on June 10, 2010
Get some finger paint, or mash up some blueberries, and make a baby handprint for a card. Do this every year. Also take a picture of the 2 of them every year on Father's Day. These collections are irreplacable.
posted by theora55 at 3:44 PM on June 10, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by theora55 at 3:44 PM on June 10, 2010 [1 favorite]
I really like Daddy's Tool Bag and it's right up his alley, given he likes tools. I've given this to friends in the past and it was a big success. The bag itself is a manly diaper bag and really good looking, I find. The way I discovered this was I saw a guy pushing a stroller with this hanging off it, and stopped him to ask what it was.
posted by Dragonness at 7:27 AM on June 11, 2010
posted by Dragonness at 7:27 AM on June 11, 2010
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posted by Etrigan at 11:56 AM on June 10, 2010