What to get my husband for Father’s Day always fills me with a small amount of agita. He’s not picky, so he won’t be upset if he doesn’t get a certain special something. (In fact, there’s nothing he really wants, except things he “can use,” which doesn’t help.) He’s already received all the framed sports paraphernalia, Super Mario-themed “Super Daddio” mugs, and grilling tools one man could possibly want. (I’m looking at you, stainless steel “Beast Injector” that remains unopened three years later).
It can be hard to shop for dads. Often they already have or won’t use much of the gear we gift them—beyond a “Walking Dad” zombie t-shirt, which, at $16.99, doesn’t seem like enough. But TikTok creator @kelsewhatelse recently shared her winning “celebration formula” for creating a great Father’s Day.
The three-step “celebration formula”
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Here’s how it goes. To create a memorable and enjoyable Father’s Day, ask the dad in your life three simple questions:
1. What do you want to do?
2. What do you want to eat?
3. What do you want to receive?
This way, if he replies, “Go to a museum, eat Thai food, and receive a board game” (the example given in @kelsewhatelse’s video), it provides the gift-giver with an opportunity to deliver exactly what dad wants, while still preserving an element of surprise. Armed with this information, you can thoughtfully pick a museum based on their interests, a restaurant with food they’re going to love, and a game they’ll be kind of expecting—but whose specifics they won’t know until opening.
The questions leave adequate room for the dad in your life (or whomever you are celebrating, the formula is not dad-specific) to be as vague or specific as they wish. They can leave it wide open and say they want to “relax” or “do something adventurous,” or they can pinpoint an activity, i.e., “I want to see a baseball game.”
Whatever they decide it sets everyone up for success while minimizing guesswork and still allowing for thoughtfulness. By formulating a request ahead of time, the recipient will get three things sure to make them happy, leaving them feeling heard and cared for. And the gift-giver won’t have to pore over Etsy and Uncommon Goods for hours, trying to find the perfect bespoke tape measure, kitschy dad joke couch pillow, or grilling accoutrement their dad or husband will never use.