by Steph Tuma

Created on: June 09, 2009

Father's Day is one of the most under celebrated holidays out there. Moms get all the credit while in reality there are many single dads out there, and let me tell you, single dads have it hard. They are stuck with the typical mom duties- cooking, cleaning, nurturing- and they still have all the dad duties. When Father's Day rolls around, why not show your dad how much you appreciate all the work he has done for you?

I've always been a big fan of homemade cards. While store cards are touching, they are made to be generic so they can apply to several buyers. Take the time to tell your dad WHY you appreciate him. Let him know all the great things about him. Not only is this more personal, it should also make your dad feel good about his job. Most of the time single dads feel like they're not doing as good as they could. Like they could never take the place of a mother. However, they do the job their own way, which is just as good. Let dad know he's doing well! Everyone likes a pat on the back.

Obviously if you're an older child, you can help out around the house more to lighten the load on your father. No dad likes a messy house, but most will let it slip in an effort to do more important things. Nothing will surprise dad more than walking into a clean house or the smell of a home cooked dinner!

Even children can follow this concept. A good old fashioned coupon book with vouchers for free shoulder massages or picking up toys shows dad you care. Handmade crafts can also show dad how precious you are. I definitely lean towards anything with little handprints on them. Nothing melts a heart faster.

Of course regardless of age, personal items take the cake. Taking the time to think about what your dad would like means a lot. For instance, I'm a huge reader. I always try to get my dad to read books I'm reading, but he's never interested. He talked about a series of books he loved as a child being the only books he ever really enjoyed. I kept this in the back of my mind and after months of online searching I found these books online. The smile on his face when I gave him the book was enough to let me know no good deed goes unpunished. Take the unselfish time out of your day to find something extra special. You know your father has done it for you time and time again.

So whether you're a child or an adult, you can show your single father you care, by taking the time to put effort into the man who raised you.

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