This is an updated version of the old easy Father’s Day gift post, I felt that it needed a makeover.
Families Are Complicated…
And mothers/fathers day can be hard for children that are not being raised in the traditionally recognized family unit.
Some may be in the care system or being raised by relatives, some may be in a single-parent situation and others maybe have two moms or two dads.
That’s why I created this file with a ‘best grown-up’ option too so that all kids can join in with celebrating their favourite grown-up, whether that be mom, dad, granny, aunt, step-parent, foster parent, or older sibling…
I am a big believer in keeping things simple and this free quick and easy Father’s Day gift (or grown-ups day) certainly does that. BUT it will also tug on the heartstrings of even the grumpiest of grumps!
And if you are thinking… well HE doesn’t do anything for Mother’s day for me… I have some suggestions about that too…
What age is this easy Father’s day /Favourite Grown Day / Mother’s day present for?
Well, any age of course! Yes, even you thirty-somethings could fill it in for your dad too! It would be quite amusing if you did!
But as a guide…
For babies that are not speaking yet, you will have to make up the answers but I suggest doing it through the eyes of a baby, to make it much more realistic and cute!
Toddlers, you can dictate their answers, and resist the urge to correct them, it’s funnier if you write down exactly what they say!
Emergent writers, you might want to help them by either writing the sentence for them to copy or tracing the words in pencil.
Writers, let them go for it!
Remember – it’s not about being perfect it’s about being real!
A few tips for filling in your quick and easy gift:
If your child gets stuck on an answer, give some examples but for your dad or brother so that you’re not putting words into their mouths.
My dad, your Grandad’s super power is… growing the most delicious tomatoes in the world!
My brother’s super power is telling silly jokes and making people laugh
Another way is to give them a few choices:
“Is daddy best at football, juggling or washing the car?”
“If daddy was buying a new jumper, would he buy a blue one, red or or yellow one?”
From the mouth of babes… kids say the funniest things and rarely have a filter so unless it is something truly terrible, I would include it, it will make for fond memories in the future (and/or embarrassing Facebook posts!)
A Portrait
The final page is the portrait page, you can help guide their drawing by asking questions like:
“What colour are daddy’s eyes?” or
“What is your favourite grown-ups hair like?”
So that they take a minute to really think about daddy and not just draw a random potato with arms as ears!
This really is a simple idea, but what is great about it, is you can do it every year and it makes a fantastic keepsake, without filling the house or recycling clutter. (You know what I mean, gifts made out of yoghurt cartons that you don’t really want to keep but feel that you have to!)
If you start collecting these pages each year it’s a lovely way to see your kid’s language and drawing skills develop over time.
But He Doesn’t Do Anything For Me For Mother’s Day!
OK, let’s tackle the elephant in the room.
Yes, some blokes are shit at this sort of thing.
There may be many reasons, it could be that it’s not in their culture, maybe their father didn’t lead the way so they don’t know what they are supposed to do, or maybe they don’t see the point or understand the significance.
Or they are just crap like I said, for many reasons…
But as I see it, we are raising the next generation so don’t let the father’s failings stop you from showing your kids how to do it right.
If you do happen to have one of those thoughtless blokes, do know it is possible to get them to change. It probably won’t happen overnight, and you probably need to show them the errors of their ways. My husband was clueless, it wasn’t something he did growing up and didn’t ‘get it‘.
The first couple of years of being a mom were rough, either it was nothing or some naff overpriced flowers. He even gave me the line “But you’re not my mom!”
Agghhhhh.
💡 Teaching Moment!
So I sat him down and talked to him, explained what it meant to me as a mom and what I expected. Which wasn’t much, just a day off from ‘mommy duties.’ Specifically a day off from me having to make decisions and do all the mom crap! And that as a dad it is his duty to teach his child how it is done!
*Penny Drop Moment*
He got the hang of it and so now I do zero cooking and housework and get to chill for the day. Sometimes you have to paint the picture in black and white and really explain it. Subtle hints are wasted on many men!
You should also get on the same page about what your ideal days would look like. Often, with dads being the breadwinners and not seeing much of the kids, they want to spend the day with the kids. But, moms on the other hand, who generally speaking spend much more time with the kids, really want a break from the parenting lark.
One way to do this is just to start the conversation over dinner. Ask each member of the family what they would love to do if the whole day was celebrating them. This is also a sneaky way to plant the seed and get the kids thinking ahead.
Whatever you decide to do
We moms have enough on our plates, so my top advice is – to keep it simple. Get the kids on board and cook his favourite meal, let the kids pamper him in whichever way they feel is best and enjoy the day as a family!
You could use one of these 5 Holiday Activities Kids Will Remember as a starting point to start a new tradition.
If buying a gift is proving tricky (men can be so hard to buy for) have a look at these clutter free gifts which work really well.
Or if Dad is a Star Wars fan and the kids are up for making something Star Wars-related, there are loads of ideas on this post.
And of course, get them to make him the quick and easy gift from this post (download it from the library). It won’t take long and it makes a great keepsake. It is fun to fill in each year and compare it as they get older.
Three easy steps to download your easy father’s day gift
1. Pop your name and email in the box below – this will give you access to the free resource library
2. Confirm that you want it by clicking the link in the email in your inbox
3. Go to the library, click the link, download and print
If you get your kids to make this easy Father’s day gift favourite grown-ups day gift), If you share it on social media, do tag me over at jojoebi on facebook, or @jojoebi on Instagram, I would love to see your kid’s answers and portraits!