Father’s Day: A guide to buying dad a gift that has meaning

A book could be written about dads and the gifts they receive. The problem is it wouldn’t be a novel so much as a leaflet. A single-page, double-spaced gifting covenant. Because when it comes to presents for men, whether it’s Father’s Day, birthdays, Christmas or a random on-the-go gift, the same tired shortlist is rolled out year after year.

And yet, what dads really want is not something gift-wrapped. It’s recognition. Like what moms get on Mother’s Day. A proper hug, because contrary to legend, men do have emotions. Even the old-school ones.

From boomer-era dads who fix things around the house to millennial dads who pack lunchboxes with salads and unsweetened snacks, the fundamentals of dadness haven’t changed much over the years. It’s still underlined with a love hard, work harder, yell from the sidelines, and clap the loudest at the talent contest.

Socks, ties and skin care stuff

Which is why socks, a tie, some kind of skin care product, another bottle of cologne, a bottle of wine or a scotch doesn’t always do the job. These are gifts from the invisible catalogue of obligation. Items that hint at ‘I kinda of know you’ are no different, perhaps, than interpreting correspondence from Sars as a love letter or banking OTPs as sexting.

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This is not to say that there’s something wrong with giving your dad a pair of socks. Just make it interesting and personalised. Funny is good, even corny. Stores like PNA and Outdoor Warehouse stock pretty cool socks. Superboobies.co.za – yes, you read correctly – stocks a super dad collection of socks that are novel and cute at the same time.

Dad would wear it, he would love it if you chose a pair that makes a statement about who he is as a person, or what he may mean to you. The same goes for any item of clothing. Last-minute dot-com gifts are ok, but are not gifts with intent.

Whisky or wine, another staple. Instead of the usual bottle of Irish or Scotch, choose something different. There are some excellent Japanese whiskies on the shelf that could be accompanied by an explainer note along the lines of how you may have thought that his love for tipple may be clear, but a segue to something slightly different may appeal to his sense of adventure.

A bottle of Santori Toki, an excellent and affordable Japanese whisky, costs around R629 but to splash out, there’s Hibiki Japanese Harmoney for around R2 200 a bottle. The same goes for a bottle of wine. Meerlust Rubicon is always a winner, because it’s a collectible drinking wine retailing for around R600 for a 2022 vintage.

Men love gadgets

It’s winter and men love gadgets. Especially something cool for the bar. A Solenco wine cooler with a decanter can look pretty good on the counter. It costs around R2 400.

Imagine driving home from work and flicking an app on your phone, turning on a heater at home. It’s connected to Wi-Fi and the Internet of Things makes it possible for your home to be snug when you get there. The Mill Portable Wi-Fi heater sells for around R3 200, and the oil heater is in the region of R5 400.

There’s never anything wrong with giving a T-shirt that mirror’s dad’s personality. From the Eish and Voetsek tees or Boksburg Rondebult Sinkhole celebration shirt parodies and La Linea service delivery shirts from The Atlas Bear online store, through to some great pop culture acquisitions at Big Blue. Pay between R200 and R500 for a proudly South African top. You can also personalise dadness, and there’s still time, at stores like Classic Print in Sunninghill where a family pic on a shirt, a mug or a mousepad can be printed up in a day or two.

Cards with a twist

Bud Tenders in Benoni stocks some awesome craft cards. ‘World’s Dopest Dad’ and ‘Surviving Fatherhood One Joint At A Time’ aren’t exactly slogans you’d find at the local stationers. The cards are large and inside, in case of emergency or for a chill if it’s your thing, a pre-roll.

Books are gifts that keep on giving. Pair a great novel with dad’s personality or what he enjoys, or some fantastic South African non-fiction. The Robert Harris series on the Roman Empire is a fantastic set of reads, while Tony Leon’s Being There is highly recommended.

Make a book part of a homemade dad-survival kit. Gift baskets are often chocolates, biltong, wine and whatever. Make your dad’s different. Tally up everything he likes, whether it’s pretzels, a hip flask and a book. Be creative and sculpt your dad’s gift to match the guy he is.

And more than anything, give that dad a hug.

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