For father's day......

[sharonk]

Hubby and I are lucky enough to have both sets of parents alive. I've always bought gifts for mine but he sends a card....ones that I have usually spent hours making so they are special. Although I buy for mine I spend about £30 on each.
No way would I spend £100 on a fathers or Mother's Day gift and even if I did it would not be on a skagen/fossil watch which from my own experience are crap.

 

[Totally Loopy Lou]

My darling dad is extremely poorly ATM whom I adore and know how lucky I am to have such a wonderful man as my father (and equally amazing mum) so I do intend to go a little OTT this Father's Day! We never usually do and I normally buy or make him a nice card or bake a cake or buy something small (which he doesn't like - doesn't like money spent on him!)

But because we're terrified this could be dad's last Father's Day (which is making me sob now!), I got him a special dressing gown with his initials on it and some smellies. He'll moan it's too much so probably done more for me! Plus I too am ill and housebound so we can never all go out for a meal which I know is what most men would love - or any time with their family...

We all got a posh watch for his 60th last year but suggesting people buy one for Father's Day is crazy and just creates pressure to spend unessary money

 

[thatu]

My mother (a very feisty 90+ lady with a mind of her own) doesn't believe in these celebration days and tells us not to buy anything for her. My dad would have been bemused by this father's day thing because he didn't grow up with it so it would have meant nothing to him. I see it from Hallmark's point of view - a very good sales gimmick that trades on emotion. Thank you very much, card companies, but we show affection throughout the year, not just on commercially-inspired days.

 

[Tinkerbelle]

Loopy Lou I hope your dad loves his dressing gown. And I hope he wears it for many years to come too. I hope, somehow, there is a change for the better and this isn't the last Fathers Day for you.

My heart goes out to you. I couldn't bear to lose my dad. I lost my mum too many years ago. I'm holding tight on to my dad.

 

[mossie269]

I often think there is no need to buy expensive presents for thinks like fathers day mothers day birthdays etc as it is basically the idea that you are thinking of someone at that time that matters a small gift and a card is all thats required.

 

[Anna]

My darling dad is extremely poorly ATM whom I adore and know how lucky I am to have such a wonderful man as my father (and equally amazing mum) so I do intend to go a little OTT this Father's Day! We never usually do and I normally buy or make him a nice card or bake a cake or buy something small (which he doesn't like - doesn't like money spent on him!)

But because we're terrified this could be dad's last Father's Day (which is making me sob now!), I got him a special dressing gown with his initials on it and some smellies. He'll moan it's too much so probably done more for me! Plus I too am ill and housebound so we can never all go out for a meal which I know is what most men would love - or any time with their family...

We all got a posh watch for his 60th last year but suggesting people buy one for Father's Day is crazy and just creates pressure to spend unessary money

So sorry to hear about your Dad - I do hope his health improves, and I am sure he will love his dressing gown and smellies.

I am lucky both my parents are still here, and I always buy my Dad or Mum a card and a gift. I don't spend a fortune, and they would not expect me to either. They would think I had gone mad if I did. My Dad loves Thornton's toffee - so I tend to get him that to go with his gift.

 

[Brissles]

Sadly with marketing and sales its all about the money in the till, and to hell with 'feelings' of the buying public. Of course they are assuming that 'most' people have their parents still living, have children and grandchildren to dote on (or not), and are in a couples relationship. Never considered are the single parents, the elderly, and those with disabilities who struggle just to get through every day. Its the same when Christmas is thrown at us from the end of August, and pressing us to buy for everyone from the milkman to the teaching assistant - to get every buck out of their audience. I'm mid 60's, no children, a widow, no parents, and brothers with families living miles away, so Christmas can be very poignant, with just memories of past Christmases. There are hundreds of thousands like me, but there is no place for people like us in the world of commerce.

 

[Nora]

It sounds like your children are happy, and at the end of the day, so long as you and your lovely family are healthy and happy, that's all that matters.

Well said Shopperholic! My daughter left home last year and my son will be leaving shortly. I mentioned this the other day to some friends of mine whose children have left/leaving home and they said the same thing that if they leave and are healthy and happy then we have done a good job as a Mum! :mysmilie_14:

 

[Totally Loopy Lou]

Loopy Lou I hope your dad loves his dressing gown. And I hope he wears it for many years to come too. I hope, somehow, there is a change for the better and this isn't the last Fathers Day for you.

My heart goes out to you. I couldn't bear to lose my dad. I lost my mum too many years ago. I'm holding tight on to my dad.

Thank you Tinkerbelle, I really appreciate your words. We have everything crossed that things will improve but at Easter he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and then a month later they found another primary cancer (unheard of) in his lung (despite being incredibly fit and healthy and never smoking...) so surgery is not an option. Sorry if it's too much information!

It's been heart-breaking as I thought I had another twenty years with him so we can't get our heads around it. And because of my chronic illness I have not been able to get married or have kids and I SO wanted my dad to see me get better and experience those joys with me (luckily my brother got married and had 3 children young so dad has had some fab grandchildren to enjoy!). But I know how lucky we are to have had so long with an amazing man so giving thanks for that!

Reminds you again not to take life for granted which I did until I got ill 13 years ago

 

[Totally Loopy Lou]

So sorry to hear about your Dad - I do hope his health improves, and I am sure he will love his dressing gown and smellies.

I am lucky both my parents are still here, and I always buy my Dad or Mum a card and a gift. I don't spend a fortune, and they would not expect me to either. They would think I had gone mad if I did. My Dad loves Thornton's toffee - so I tend to get him that to go with his gift.

Thanks Anna x

 

[Totally Loopy Lou]

Sadly with marketing and sales its all about the money in the till, and to hell with 'feelings' of the buying public. Of course they are assuming that 'most' people have their parents still living, have children and grandchildren to dote on (or not), and are in a couples relationship. Never considered are the single parents, the elderly, and those with disabilities who struggle just to get through every day. Its the same when Christmas is thrown at us from the end of August, and pressing us to buy for everyone from the milkman to the teaching assistant - to get every buck out of their audience. I'm mid 60's, no children, a widow, no parents, and brothers with families living miles away, so Christmas can be very poignant, with just memories of past Christmases. There are hundreds of thousands like me, but there is no place for people like us in the world of commerce.

I know what you mean and I really feel for you. I'm sorry you have a tough time. I am housebound and live on my own with a chronic illness which makes daily life a real struggle and it can make you feel invisible and forgotten. But I am lucky to have some amazing friends and family...
With qvc and other channels, it can sometimes feel as if you're having Christmas and gift-giving shoved down your throat but I actually enjoy some of it because it makes me feel included and part of the normal world I used it to live in. And the crazier elements just make me giggle

 

[maymorganlondon]

Thank you Tinkerbelle, I really appreciate your words. We have everything crossed that things will improve but at Easter he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and then a month later they found another primary cancer (unheard of) in his lung (despite being incredibly fit and healthy and never smoking...) so surgery is not an option. Sorry if it's too much information!

It's been heart-breaking as I thought I had another twenty years with him so we can't get our heads around it. And because of my chronic illness I have not been able to get married or have kids and I SO wanted my dad to see me get better and experience those joys with me (luckily my brother got married and had 3 children young so dad has had some fab grandchildren to enjoy!). But I know how lucky we are to have had so long with an amazing man so giving thanks for that!

Reminds you again not to take life for granted which I did until I got ill 13 years ago

Totally Loopy Lou: my heart goes out to you, that's such terrible news for you all to face. I admire that you are holding on to as much positive as you can amid all the worry and heartache. Cancer is a cruel disease, and devastating for everyone involved. I hope you manage to cram as much joy and happiness with your dad as you can, for as long as you can. Good luck to you and your family, especially your dad.

 

[Totally Loopy Lou]

Totally Loopy Lou: my heart goes out to you, that's such terrible news for you all to face. I admire that you are holding on to as much positive as you can amid all the worry and heartache. Cancer is a cruel disease, and devastating for everyone involved. I hope you manage to cram as much joy and happiness with your dad as you can, for as long as you can. Good luck to you and your family, especially your dad.

Oh bless you, May, thank you so much I probably shouldn't have shared so much personal 'stuff' especially on a forum about shopping telly (!) but I suppose I feel as I've got to know the people on here and the Father's Day talk hit a nerve and before I knew it I was writing about my dear dad...

Because my own personal situation (even without this!) is really tough, I have to fight every day to keep positive and just to keep going so am hoping I can use that approach with dad. Ironically we very recently lost our dear family friend to pancreatitic cancer so it does feel particularly cruel... She was actually the lady who introduced me to QVC and to Liz Earle which she bought for me. She watched the channel from day one and bought ALL her gifts and a lot of her clothes from it! To her final family get-together she wore a lovely Kim & co top covered in flowers which looked so nice and fresh.
I digress...!

Cancer can indeed be a cruel and hideous disesase. And of course for dad it couldn't be much worse. But I think too that 'the big C' can induce panic in people when it does cover a huge spectrum of severity etc. I've actually had my own experience of it and although it was hard and horrible I would take that again ten times over rather than live with the progressive illness that I have now. And my gorgeous god-daughter has just bounced back after 2.5years of treatment for leukaemia - so they are making progress all the time with treatments and improving prognosis, thank God (literally!). There's some scary statistic that 1 in 3 of us will develop cancer at some point in our lifetime so we do have put all we can into findng a cure; here's hoping/praying...

(Please excuse my waffling!) x