Worst Father’s Day gift ideas

If you’re wondering what the tingly forgetful feeling you’re getting this June, we’ll remind you. Aside from holidays and vacations, this month also brings Father’s Day! Yes, you can thank us for saving you.

We’ll do you another by telling you some of the worst Father’s Day gift ideas to steer clear of so that you don’t get him the wrong team’s jersey, and what you can get him instead.

1. Expensive bath products

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You’re telling me, you plan on getting the one person who bulk buys soap a bunch of spendy potions and lotions? It won’t matter whether these expensive bath products are anti-ageing, 24-hour moisturisers or cure world peace if they’re above $5.

When they’re not being Scrooge-y, some fathers are just used to their usual methods, including what shampoo they use.

Instead: Restock his faves. You can even spruce them up by placing them in a nice hamper or basket. If a man is going to only use Old Spice, there’s very little that will deter him.

2. Yet another colourful tie or pair of socks

Image credit: @thesmartlocalsg via Instagram

What happens when you take the term better safe than sorry too seriously? You get your dad yet another colourful tie or pair of socks. There’s no denying that he appreciates these garments, but if they’re polka-dotted or neon they’ll wither away in the back of his drawer, along with his appreciation of you.

Instead: Stick to simple, good-quality clothes that your dad can use for all occasions. A nice shirt or solid pair of shoes can never go amiss.

If you really want to style your dad up, you can use “the girlfriend effect” method, the one where scraggly NS boys become models over a new relationship. Subtly gift him non-offensive but different articles of clothing you’d think would suit him best.

3. Overpriced vacation

You are setting yourself up for two weeks of non-stop complaining if your Father’s Day gift is an overpriced vacation. For most dads, this includes artsy Euro trips, beach resorts, and 5-star hotels, where the price tags are as jaw-dropping as the views.

At the very least, if you do plan on taking him to one of these destinations, just do not let him see a single bill receipt. Don’t worry Pa, it’s all-inclusive (nervous laughter).

Instead: Budget trips with simple itineraries where he won’t complain, he’ll never say no to free breakfast and discount goods. You can also pick up something from our list of the best Father’s Day travel gifts. Even if he enjoys museums, adventure sports and fine dining, he’ll be even more impressed if you manage to get those with good deals.

4. DIY coffee or tea sets

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Some of us have a vision of our dads doing 10-minute long tea rituals, and telling us that they can taste the hills. What we forget is that, much like us, they’re still impatient beings. They’re probably going to pop out those DIY coffee or tea sets once and then call it a day.

Some of these sets can set you back hundreds of dollars too. Even if your dad is priceless, what’s the point if he’s just going to get Kopi C siew dai from the coffee shop anyway? Unless he’s a tea enthusiast or coffee aficionado, you can take these out of the cart.

Instead: Get your dad a bottle of his favourite booze. You know that’s what he wants, especially to deal with all these terrible presents.

5. Overly complicated gadgets & DIY projects

Good intentioned as it may be, getting your dad overly complicated gadgets that claim to make things easier, can sometimes be like asking someone who only knows automatic to suddenly drive manual. For example, why buy one of those elaborate fruit slicers when the good old knife exists?

Sometimes giving tools and DIY projects are also a no-go, considering you’re essentially gifting your Abba work to do.

Instead: Learn how to deal with fixer-uppers by your damn self, and then you can score some brownie points when you can fix the pipes or WiFi at your parent’s house. If your father is one of those proactive peeps, you can sign him up for upskilling classes and maybe even make him a finbro while you’re at it.

6. Passive-aggressive self-improvement books

It’s dangerous territory, being paggro with the masters of discipline, so passive-aggressive self-improvement books are not gift-worthy on this occasion. They might seem like a funny gag gift for them, but how would you feel if someone gave you a “How to not suck at your job” guide for your birthday.

If you’re trying to send him a signal, a sarcastic novel will seem more like a blaring alarm rather than a subtle hint, leading to either a shouting match at the dinner table or a sulking fit. Yikes.

Instead: Bite the bullet and have a normal conversation with him. Sometimes our dads can seem like such aliens and superheroes, that we forget that they like to yap about their feelings too, so talking to them can be a great means to a resolution. Besides, even if your dad truly deserves it, he may not understand the book title anyway.

7. “World’s Best Dad” merch

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Officers, it’s this one right here. There is some irony in how getting “World’s Best Dad” merch can make you the world’s worst child. Whether it’s on a mug, or a t-shirt or god forbid a card, this gift is the definition of zero-effort.

It’s time that we stop this vicious cycle of bad gifting, as your dad probably gave his dad the same, and his dad to his dad and so forth. Curse you caveman who gifted his father a stone slab with #1 Father on it.

Instead: Get literally anything else, even something off this list, just not this.

8. Getting arrested

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It sounds drastic, but the worst gift to give is disappointment. Whether it’s something extreme like getting arrested or something plain like a poor report card, there’s nothing more painful than Fathers having to give their furrowed glares and sighs.

With ailments plaguing them with their age, the least you could do is not increase their blood pressure.

Instead: Do the bare minimum and be a good child. Worst case scenario, call your sibling or Mom for an SOS, and let your father live in blissful ignorance.

Steer clear from these terrible Father’s Day gift ideas

All jokes aside, Dads deserve a lot more love than, but it can be tough considering they’re not always the most materialistic. The simplest and most effective gift really is spending time with him. Play a game of cards, take him out to the mall or just have a nightcap together, and it’ll be more worth it than any gift you could give.

If you need more daddo-appreciation, check out the ways Singaporean fathers show their love or the best dads in Netflix shows. If you’re still scrambling for what gifts to get him, we’ve got you covered with the best Father’s Day deals to snag.

Cover image adapted from: RDNE Stock project via Pexels and @thesmartlocalsg via Instagram