Dm birthday present

[Figurine]

My dad has a history of getting presents very very wrong. A few years ago I gave him the name of a perfume for my mums birthday. He presented her with a stew pot- he thought he was being practical

It's my mums birthday coming up and it's a big one so I've been discussing presents with my dad. My mum had pointed out a skirt she wanted so I suggested that.

I got a phone call today saying my dad has seen a dress "for large ladies" that he thinks my mum would like for her birthday. My mum is a size 14. I then asked him to take a picture of it but that horrified him as people might think he's a pervert with some sort of women's dress fetish. So he eventually just bought the dress in a size 22. It looks like a tent.

I asked my sister to reason with him but he's so happy that he's got a thoughtful gift, all be it completely wrong. How on earth do I deal with this without my dad getting upset, even though he's got it wrong, his hearts in the right place, and my mum not being upset because she's got a rubbish present?

Oh that's an awkward one! On one hand I think it's his decision and you can't change his taste in presents. On the other hand if I was in that situation I'd want someone to be honest with me.

In the future can you offer to buy/order something your mum has suggested, and send it on to him to wrap? Maybe explain that you were going past M&S (or whatever shop) and thought picking up the item she liked would save him the trouble of finding it.

He's a grown man I'm sure he can deal with the fact that he's been stubborn and gone ahead and bought something completely inappropriate. Just tell him. If he's upset over you telling him he's bought something far too big for your mum then there's some bigger issues here.

"dad, I'm sure it's lovely but it's completely the wrong size, it'd look like a sack on her! Let me take it back and get something in her size for you?"

easy!