by Royce Radcliffe

Created on: June 12, 2008

There are so many articles this time of year detailing the wonderful array of gifts one can shower their father with that I thought it would add some levity to the proceedings to write an article warning against certain gift ideas that will most likely do more harm than good. Your choice of gift reflects many things about your perception of your father. It is true that it is the thought that counts, but on this day is the thought not reflected by what type of gift you choose more than anything else?

Father's Day is one of the few holidays that celebrate this particular role and your father will enjoy the attention whether he admits it or not. Even if your gift gets a lukewarm reception that is better than giving him a horrible gift that would have a catacylsmic effect on the entire holiday, leaving you with an entire year before you even have a chance of undoing the damage. The following is a list of some of the more common mistakes made when choosing a Father's Day gift and what they imply about you, the giftgiver.

CLOTHING

Nothing says, "I did not put much thought into this," quite like buying your father clothes. Surely he has all the clothes he wants at this stage in his life. How do you react when you open up a present and find a tie or socks or khakis in it? Exactly.

With clothing as a gift it is always a matter of how well you hide your disappointment. Please do not make your father lie. And not to be sexist but men on average care about clothing about ten times less than women. The statistics strongly imply that your father will number among the millions of men who are not fashion conscious. If what you pick matches his wardrobe the gift is repetitive. If it is something he does not wear on his own then there is the strong chance that he will view it as a veiled criticism of his fashion sense!

GIFT CERTIFICATES

Your dad does not want a handout. He does not need your money and it is in his DNA to provide for you, not the other way around. There is something highly upsetting about your child handing you cash and a gift certificate is the equivalent of doing exactly that. Kids love gift certificates because it is almost as good as money and ensures a shopping trip. Dads already have enough money and by and large dislike shopping-something your "gift" will make them have to do.

This also shows that you were too lazy to put any thought into the gift or shop for your father yourself. At this stage in the game you putting effort into the gift is the most important

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