How to Find The Perfect Gift For Dad
Today, I’m going to teach you how to find the perfect gift for your dad.
I know, you think it’s a fallacy–right?
But I’m here to tell you there’s a formula for gift finding and purchasing for any dad.
Yep, including yours.
Look, I’m a 37-year-old, and I have countless holiday and birthday gifts under my belt.
I’ve swung and missed many times when it comes to delivering on presents my pops would love.
But as I’ve grown older, I’ve learned one important thing when it comes to buying gifts for dad…
Gift giving is an art.
When I was growing up, I was taught at an early age how to receive a gift.
It was always a great feeling to know you were about to open something special.
Something someone picked out JUST FOR YOU.
You’d ask yourself, “What is it?”
Well, okay, not quite like that…
There was always anticipation and some inspecting of the gift before opening it.
And once you opened it, you always showed appreciation for whatever was inside.
But looking back at my childhood, it was never explained to me how to properly give a gift.
This isn’t grade school where you can just bank on getting some class time to build something out of Popsicle sticks anymore.
Now, I recognize it is an essential life skill.
And I’m sure you’re feeling the pressure of choosing a gift now later in life, too.
Especially when it comes to one of the most important individuals to give a present to — your old man.
But I’m here to help you through this, so let’s get going…
What Makes A Perfect Gift?
Right now, you’re asking yourself how to come up with the perfect gift for dad.
Little do you realize it, but you’re asking yourself the wrong question.
It’s not what makes the perfect gift that will get you the perfect response for your dad…
…it’s asking yourself this:
“What gifts are great to give, but not great to get?”
Here’s a perfect example I’m currently struggling with.
A few holidays ago, my parents gifted me and my wife with an electric raclette grill.
My parents had recently returned from a trip to Europe, and they enjoyed many meals using a raclette.
So they decided it would make for a great gift for us.
“You could use this when you host your next dinner party,” one of them said to us.
There’s a couple things wrong with that last sentence, so I’m going to break them down for you.
First off, my wife and I had just had our first child, and we were in no space to host a party.
Second, we very rarely were cooking anything ourselves because we were so preoccupied with our new son, and were basically your stereotypical first-time parents trying not to break a baby 🙃
And finally, hot, open surfaces are generally not the greatest with curious baby hands around.
When we opened the gift in front of my folks, these thoughts were crossing our mind, but we politely said, “thank you,” all the same.
Here’s the key reason this gift was a bust:
We didn’t see the same value in the item as the gift-giver did.
We lacked time, sleep, and capacity to put something like this to use.
After they left, we shoved it on the top shelf of our already-packed pantry (so space was another ding against the gift).
Want to know where this raclette is now?
Seriously!
(…and it’s still available)
It was taking up valuable space in our pantry.
We were never interested in it to begin with.
I’m a dad who like to grill outdoors anyway.
And we’ve concluded we’ll never actually use it.
This is a classic example of a giver-recipient mismatch.
So how can givers become smarter about finding the perfect gift?
The obvious answer is that us kids should choose gifts based on how valuable they will be to our dad throughout his ownership of the gift.
Rather than how good a gift will seem when they open it.
Which means we need start asking dad the tough questions…
Just Start Asking Dad What He Wants
On the surface, it seems so obvious…
The only way to give the perfect gifts for dad is to ask him what he actually wants or needs.
But our society has this norm where asking a loved one what he or she wants as a gift is considered taboo.
Almost as if we’re taking the easy way out of present shopping.
And, if you have to ask dad, you probably don’t know your own dad then, right?
Wrong!
There are psychology studies out there showing people are not nearly as talented at knowing the preferences of others as they think they are.
Is it fair to expect that we can predict what someone else might want without asking them?
Highly unlikely.
When we don’t know the facts of their preferences, we fly blind with our gift ideas.
And that’s the most common error in gift giving.
Sometimes we need to suck up our pride and just ask our old man what he’ll actually like to receive.
And that’s not a bad thing…
7 Foundational Questions to Ask Dad Before Shopping For The Perfect Gift
This is going to be your go-to list when determining what will make a great gift for dad.
Ready? Let’s get started…
#1 What Does He Like?
No brainer, right?
But it’s a great question to start with.
This question will get you more focused on your pops and not what you may like.
If you already know the answer to this question, you’re off to a great start.
But preferences change over time, so it never hurts to ask either.
#2 What Doesn’t He Like?
If you’re going to ask them for a list of favorites, you might as well rule out what they stay away from.
There’s a big difference between “not liking” something and being indifferent about something.
That’s why this question is so important.
If there are things he definitely doesn’t not like, you’re better to flush them out of him.
#3 What Does He Need?
Sometimes, it’s best just come right out and get down to the core.
Maybe he’s going on a golfing trip with his pals…
Maybe he’s starting a new hobby…
Maybe he just needs some more peace and quiet!
This question pulls what he wants out of him, and leaves you with less guessing.
#4 How Does He Like To Relax?
If he’s tied up and complains about wanting more time for himself, this is a great question to ask.
Maybe he likes to go to live events when he can (so get him tickets as a gift).
Or go hit the slopes at the nearest ski resort (so get him a skiing gift).
Or he likes to just likes listening to music in his man cave (so get him a music gift).
However he likes to decompress, figure out if there’s something there you can do to help him relax.
#5 What Does He Like to Eat/Drink?
When you become a dad, you snack a little more…
…and maybe you drink a little more, too.
Figure our what his favorites are and pick some up for him.
Or even better, prepare him his favorite meal along with his favorite beverage!
Besides, the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach.
#6 What Does He Do For Fun?
This is a different question to ask him than the first question I listed.
Here’s why…
When you ask him what he likes, it gives you a sense of tangible things he enjoys.
When you ask him what he does for fun, it allows him to think back about great memories or experiences.
This would generate a completely different response from him, and should create some perfect gift opportunities.
#7 What Are His Goals?
This is a great way to find a gift dad needs and help him achieve something special.
Maybe he wants to learn how to speak a new language.
Or wants to get into better shape and run a half marathon.
Or wants to finally plant that vegetable garden this spring like he’s always talked about…
Learn what he wants to accomplish, and help him accomplish it!
Now, Go Find That Perfect Gift For Dad!
You are now armed and ready to buy the best gifts for dad that will leave him speechless, or at least really, really happy.
And here’s the best part…
Once you learn what the right questions are to ask, over time you will naturally just pick up on things your old man says that are organic gift-giving hints.
Then you’ll start buying what dad really wants way ahead of time and not find yourself struggling last minute.
Happy gift hunting!
