Holiday Shopping for Dads

What are you buying for your significant other this holiday season? Consider the following tips when choosing a gift.

1.   It’s not as simple as they make it seem.  Guys go to great lengths to make it seem like they’re so easy to shop for.  “Oh honey, just get me anything,” they say.  And when they open the J. Crew v-neck sweater that you just know will go great with that striped shirt they never wear?  Well, they’re less than enthused.

2.   Sports tickets don’t always fly.  My husband loves sports.  He loves baseball, football – if a ball is involved, he’s into it.  You’d think that getting him tickets to his favorite football team would be a no-brainer, right?  Apparently not.  I’m told by my guy friends that if you get a guy tickets to a sporting event, make it clear that he can take whoever he wants – really.  Apparently the idea of whether to take their die-hard Giants fan best friend or the gal who put up the cash for the tickets causes more stress than most guys can handle.

3.   Gadgets are expensive.  Guys love gadgets.  Anything that is multipurpose and has buttons can keep them entertained for hours.  Plus, once they break it, fixing it makes them feel manly.  But half the stuff your guy would actually want might break the bank.  For example, my husband always talks about Blackberries.  He thinks having a portable calendar/phone/internet connection would be fantastic.  And it would probably be a great and useful gift for a lot of guys – but my husband is a teacher.  There aren’t a whole lot of twelve-year olds trying to coordinate meetings with him, and since he’s home by three o’clock, he has plenty of time to check his e-mail from the comfort of our living room.  So why would I shell out upwards of $300 for a really cool phone?

4.   Please, not another tie!  Whenever I’m out shopping, I see at least a half dozen things that my husband needs.  Socks, boxers without holes in them, and ties, to name a few.  But these aren’t things my husband wants, and apparently that makes them a no-go as a gift.  Whereas I would love something useful that I haven’t quite gotten around to purchasing yet (a new winter coat, hint hint, honey), my husband wants things that he wouldn’t normally buy for himself (okay, things he wouldn’t normally send me to the store for).  Which means that in order to make his eyes light up like our one-year olds on Christmas morning, I need to get creative.  Which, quite frankly, I don’t have time for.

When you’re shopping this year, keep your man’s interests and needs in mind.  And if you have any suggestions on what I can get my husband this year, I’d appreciate it.

Related posts:

1. Holiday Shopping Tips for Military Moms
2. Time Out Help for Moms and Dads
3. Holiday Care Packages for Deployed Husbands and Friends
4. Holiday Gift Giving in a Blended Family
5. Shopping for a Cause