by Kate Rosenberger

Created on: June 03, 2008   Last Updated: June 20, 2008

Each year is the same. You pay close attention, waiting for your dad to drop hints about what he wants for Father's Day. Nothing. As the day looms closer you finally come right out and ask. Nothing. Inevitably, you end up at the mall a day or two before Father's Day hoping for inspriation to strike. With that many stores, you have to be able to find something. They always have special sales and merchandise for a holiday. Somehow you still manage to go awry nearly every year. Here is some advice on what NOT to get your dad for Father's Day.

Most department stores seem to share an image of the typical father. He wears ties, button down shirts and frumpy sweaters a la Ward Cleaver. Fathers can never have enough wallets, tie caddies, or valet boxes. His favorite pasttime is golf of course. He wears enough cologne to choke an elephant and he's apparantly a heavy drinker because he carries a flask. I don't know about your father but mine is more like Bob Vila than Ward Cleaver. On to another place.

Surely the bookstore will have some good items set out for Father's Day. Alas, my dad must not fit their idea of a typical father either. It seems that when fathers aren't playing golf, they can be found reading about golf. There are a ton of grilling cookbooks but if your dad is anything like mine, he's not a cookbook kind of guy. There are always several hot new business books. How better to relax and unwind than to read up on corporate strategy? On second thought, maybe a book isn't the way to go.

The game store is running a Father's Day sale on video games. That would be a great Father's Day gift for a gen-x husband. Somehow I can't picture a babyboomer dad playing Grand Theft Auto. Even stores that typically cater to women want in on the holiday action. You never would have thought of it yourself but maybe dad would like a spa set. After a long day at work he could come home, sprinkle some bath crystals in the tub, and exfoliate his cares away. Maybe your dad isn't the metrosexual type. A gift card is always a good standby. Dad's are notorious shopaholics.

Television commercials aren't much more help. They would have you believe that your dad's dream presents are a new cable hookup or a cordless drill. Happy Father's Day Dad! Do you think you can hang some shelves for me later? If you were planning on splurging this year your father he could use a new car. After all, he's worth it, isn't he?

In the end, I've found that it really doesn't matter what you get dad for Father's Day. Inevitably, the sweater is too big or too small, he already has that movie, and he doesn't shop at that store. He's (usually) always a good sport about it though. Take him for breakfast at that run down little diner he loves. Go back to the house and help him with his latest home improvement project. He won't actually let you help but all he really wanted was some company anyway. You know what? Macy's can have Mr. Cleaver.

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