Dad Rant: Forget Father’s Day, Appreciate Dad Every Day


This is not me. I would never try to type on a hardwood floor with my kids.

It is a few days before Father’s Day. The day where marketing companies, giant brands and your RSS feed tells you that you better be doing something for your dad or else.

Growing up Father’s Day to me was a day to let dad take it easy, do whatever he wanted and to just kick back and forget the daily grind.  But I also remember my dad wanting to have a pretty normal family day instead. Sunday’s were kind of like that all year round. Mother’s Day and Father’s Day were never made to be this big thing for me. Maybe that is why I grew up thinking the way I do.

Why does dad (or mom) only get to be spoiled and celebrated one day a year? That kind of day can happen all year long. Not just on a day that we are told to do it.

Now I am not going to say that I won’t sit back and let Father’s Day smother me over with whatever the family has planned, but I don’t need a day dedicated to me. My wife and boys do the little things for me all year long. I know how they feel. I don’t need a tie, or a putter or a steak dinner to tell me that.

Mother’s Day and Father’s Day are just like Valentine’s Day in my eyes. A day we are told to love someone and do something special. Do we really need a calendar for that? Watching everyone scramble around as commercials bombard us with great gift ideas for dad etc.

Walking into any store this time of year makes me puke a little. The overdose of “dad” this and “father’s day” that is way too much. How about we just appreciate what we have as a family, when we want to.

I also appreciate that these companies need to make money. They are a business. But certain days of the year, it just feels like too much.

Plus, why should we all feel guilty if we don’t do something. What if you took your dad out for a coffee three weeks ago to say thanks for being a great dad. Does that make it okay if you don’t go out and buy something you can’t afford because society says to?

Should we not be doing that anyways?

Walk into any store this weekend and just look around at all the people running around buying stuff to show their dad how they feel. They don’t really want to be there. They are there because there is stress and guilt telling them to go make a purchase.

This Father’s Day I won’t be going golfing or driving around no a new lawnmower. I will be spending time with my family like I do every Sunday. If they want to do something special, I will love it and appreciate it but at the same time, I never want my boys to think they have to stock pile their feelings for one day per year.

Does the day after Father’s Day mean any less? I hope not. If you want to do something special for dad on July 26th, I say do it. Don’t wait around for the day that everyone else does it.

I keep hearing people asking what they are doing for Father’s Day and it is refreshing to hear more and more people say they are simply spending time with dad.

I say forget Father’s Day and appreciate dad all year long. This also goes for moms of course.

Go call your dad today. Yes I know it is a few days before Father’s Day, but he won’t be expecting it and it will mean a great deal more.

Rant over.

What are your feelings on Father’s Day?

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