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A
Tie is Better Than - Nothing!
BY RACHEL
WEBB
Fathers Day
was started in 1909 with Sonora Dodd who wanted a special day
to honor her father. Her mother died giving birth to their 6th
child and her father had continued to raise the children and
run the family farm in rural Washington. In 1966 it was madeofficial
and the 3rd Sunday of June was Fathers Day from then on.
Obviously
Sonora's father was very deserving of the honor but Sonora admitted
that she campaigned for the Holiday in part for equality and
fairness to Dads since Mothers Day was alreadybeing celebrated.
Mothers Day has consistently been the bestretail sales day of
the year second only to Christmas. Fathers Day doesn't even come
in third place for gift giving so it seems that the #1 Fathers
Day Gift would be...a gift! Any gift - just remember Dad too!
Does Fathers
Day take a back seat to Mothers Day in your family?If he does
receive a gift is he handed a new power tool and ahandy man to-do
list? Or do the kids call him collect and say"Happy Fathers
Day"? FamilyEducation.com conducted a poll last year asking
how father day is celebrated in your home. With almost 2000 votes
tabulated, barely 60% honored Dad with cards, gifts and dinner.
Just as Moms
appreciate homemade macaroni necklaces, Dads enjoy homemade gifts
of love and service as well. My father still has the ceramic
horse head bookends I made for him in 2nd grade. Stumped for
what to get your Dad? Here are some suggestions where the whole
family can be involved in the activity making and creating a
homemade gift that would make any Dad feel special!
Shadow Box Memorabilia
Honor Dad by showcasing items that were important in his life
while at the same time displaying genealogy the younger generation
can learn about.
Preserve military
medals and ribbons, service club pins, coins, baseball cards
or other memorabilia your Dad enjoyed collecting in an acid free
shadow box.
Pie Baking Contest
Extended family can each bring a different kind of pie, let dad
be the judge by sampling them all and awarding prizes!
Family Carwash &
Detailing
Assign each family member part of the gift like: new floor mats,
hanging scent for the rear view mirror, carpet and upholstery
cleaner, new tape or cd, new drink holder and soda refill coupon,
pre-paid credit for 1 month of gasoline, wax and buffing mitts,
etc. After Dad opens his gifts, the whole family can get involved
in cleaning and detailing the car inside and out. You could also
change the oil, re-fill the windshield washer and break fluid
too!
Relive Camping &
Fishing Memories
Rent a cabin in the mountains for a family retreat, only this
time Dad doesn't have to pack the car, hunt for firewood, lug
the dutchovens, bait the hooks or untangle the fishing lines!
Have each child prepared to tell a campfire story about Dad as
they roast him a marshmallow!
Copyright Rachel Webb 2001