By the time they reach their thirties, many people feel that making a big deal out of their birthday is unnecessary and perhaps even embarrassing. This is particularly true for men, who aren’t marketed to anywhere near as heavily as women, meaning that they don’t end up spending a large portion of their time seeing ads for cute, useful little things they might like to have in the way many women do. This doesn’t mean, however, that Dad’s birthday can’t be a fun celebration for the whole family – it might just need a little extra planning. Here are some ideas to get you started.
1. Start thinking about the birthday present well in advance
When it comes to presents, there is little worse than excitedly unwrapping a parcel to discover inside it something which was clearly bought in a panic at the last minute, thinking “This’ll do – I don’t know what else to get him”. Just because the man in your life doesn’t talk about items that he’d like to buy all the time doesn’t mean that you can’t find something for him that he will appreciate. At least a couple of weeks before his birthday, encourage your children to think about all the things their Dad likes to do, and to use that as the basis to find perfect birthday gifts for Dad. Does he like to have a glass of wine with his dinner? Get him a decanter. Is he really into cycling? A new set of bike tools to replace his worn-out ones will make him happy. There’s always something you can think of if you give yourself enough time!
2. Plan a family outing
On your husband or partner’s birthday, plan a trip for the whole family to somewhere he would enjoy. Again, think about what he would like. Is he a football fan? If so, tickets for everyone to go see his favourite team would make his day. Does he like spending time outdoors? A trip to somewhere like Delamere Forest is a must – plus, they have a Go Ape! A way to make the dad of the family feel even more special on his birthday would be to take on the lion’s share of organising, soothing and entertaining the children – and even reminding them to make an effort not to whine or fight on Dad’s special day!
3. Bake a cake together
Finally, a fun way for the whole family to celebrate Dad’s birthday together is to bake and decorate a cake with the kids. If Dad is into baking, then make this a birthday activity; if not, find an excuse to get him out of the house for a couple of hours the day before his birthday so you and the children can bake and decorate the cake in secret! Here are some fantastic cake decoration ideas which are sure to impress Dad and put a smile on his face on his special day.
