To ask if your dad has ever bought you a present?

[moutonfou]

I saw a post online about a gift that someone's dad had bought them for an achievement.

It made me realise that my dad has never ever bought me a present. Of course my mum would buy things that purported to be from the two of them, but I doubt my dad ever actually knew what was in there.

I don't say this in a "what a mean guy, never buying me a present" way. It's not so much the lack of presents which struck me, but the fact that he probably didn't/doesn't actually know me well enough to know what I'd like, or could never be bothered to even take a wild guess. I don't think he'd be able to tell you three things I enjoy doing tbh.

Is this unusual?

My dad is terrible with presents. Usually buys/gives my DH things but has nothing for me at all.

Lots of completely unsuitable presents - I would have loved a drill!

Best one was in about 2005, he asked what I wanted and (happy and relieved!) I said I'd like a new version of a (not at all expensive) book, since mine was 3 years out of date.. he understood. Great! And he did get me one... from *1979 that he spotted in a second hand shop.... WTF?! 26 years out of date! Not even a nice copy :(

Something died in me that day, I mean what is the excuse? He is not a fool... since then he still carried on giving my DH presents but not me and I hardly see him now...

My Dad was always buying me presents....

Once he stood in book queue to get a Jilly Cooper book personally signed for me
Every time he got a bonus at work he gave my sis and I £50 each
He would come home with liquorice all sorts for me
Every Christmas he bought my sis and I a special Christmas decoration
and loads of other things....

I was very fortunate in that I had a wonderful dad. Sadly he died over 15 years ago. I miss him, but I have so many wonderful happy memories of him. He would do anything for my sis and me. :)

Every Christmas since I was about 6, my dad has bought half a dozen big tubes of smarties and jelly tots, emptied them all out and filled one jelly tot tube with green tots and one smarties tube with orange smarties because I said they were my favourites! My two brothers got a tube of smarties (sans orange) and jelly tots (sans green) and my parents ate the rest!!

He has also bought me 2 books for Christmas for as long as I can remember (I also buy him two books at Christmas and we swap them over around February!) He also wraps them all which surprises me more!!

My Dad bought me great presents. He came from a really poor background where he never had the right gear for anything, and was determined his children wouldn't go through that. So if you took up any kind of hobby or sport he went out and bought all the kit for you.

He used to bring us books often, which I loved. And I really loved going shopping with him for school shoes at primary school because he would have no clue - and would therefore cheerfully buy me completely unsuitable things I asked for (like Platforms - 70s child) that I knew my Mum would have certainly not let me have. She bought sensible stuff.

My dad always bought my sis and I a little gift at xmas, something he went and chose himself, he's quite a gruff mans man, but he would choose a little ornament, or make up for us. On my wedding day, whilst i was at the hairdressers he went to an antique shop around the corner and chose a beautiful bracelet, so unexpected and treasured.

Oh and he still buys me a chocolate orange for Christmas every year (amongst other stuff). And every year I say, 'I don't like chocolate oranges, Dad' and give it back to him.

I am 51.

Yes he did lots when I was growing up. Bike, commandor 64, my first mobile. Now he buys my two kids things instead. X

Posted earlier and realised I'd forgotten all the gifts from when he travelled for work. Usually clothes from USA, toys from Germany, a painted wooden fan from Seville, marzipan fruit once from Italy.

Oh and lots of showercaps

I got a bike when I was 8, and Dad spent a bonus on a bike for everyone. After that, no. My brother was the golden child and had an expensive hobby.

He pays for stuff - household things, driving lessons - but my birthday and Christmas presents (from mum and dad) are just as much a surprise to him as me

Every Saturday my dad would take me to the Rainbow bookshop in Walton on Thames and buy me a book! He also bought me a blow up camel made of camel skin, very smelly, when abroad for work. I love my dad so much, he has always been a source of joy in my life.

I don't think my dad has ever chosen a present for me for some time but to be honest I don't think my mum has for many years either! My sister, who lives with them, picks out presents for me. 😂

Mine died when I was nine so I don't remember any presents. I've managed to survive relatively unscathed by that.

My dad bought me comics and sweets when I was little but he never bought or chose a birthday or Christmas or 'well done' present for me. My DM did it all. I never thought about it till now.

Never, always cash in a card as he has appalling taste. He does always take time choosing a card which has a verse inside that reflects what he wants to say which I find very lovely

My dad didn't involve himself in the Christmas or birthday buying, but I remember him buying us things from his visits abroad including a lovely steif teddy I still have. When my dh bought presents for the dc at Christmas time I was surprised and glad, I guess I'd just internalized that men didn't bother involving themselves in thinking about the gifts so much.

a radio
an awl
and a couple of other things.

not much but enough.

No, never, gift buying just isn't his thing and I don't feel like I miss out on anything because of it.

My DH is exactly the same, he has never bought our DC gifts. The best gift I ever gave him was to tell him not to buy me any more birthday or christmas presents, the look of relief on his face was so funny, he would fret so much over gift buying that I couldn't not tell him it was ok not to.

A lawnmower
A hedge trimmer
A strimmer
A fire lighter
Engine oil
A flame thrower for weeds

It's erratic - sometimes I get nothing, sometimes something big. Usually dependent on if he's identified a need. He does the same thing as peachgreen; always spends hours researching The VERY BEST ONE; and it's the time he's put into this research that I find really touching.

When I was a kid there was a good line in promotional stuff from work - waterproof coats with Iveco Trucks emblazoned on them and the like.

No. After my mum died we got nothing for birthdays and Christmas, not even my kids. Apparently he was very kind to the next door neighbours child. In fact when he died neighbour was in floods of tears while my brothers and I stayed dry eyed. Of course, we knew what a bastard he could be for years.

My dad has always given me gifts, but we're very close. He used to get me sweets when I was very little, or the odd toy. As I got older he'd buy me little things he saw and made him think of me. He'd also bring me interesting things like antlers, a dead mole, honeycomb, a swarm of bees, a snake.

Nowadays for birthdays and Christmas his girlfriend helps him buy for us, she has fabulous taste. But my dad still does little gifts and now buys little toys and sweets for my children. He's a brilliant grandad. Basically my dad's awesome.

My dad bought me presents for birthdays and Christmas. He was a thoughtful and generous person. If he couldn't think what to get he would ask me what I needed eg last birthday he took me to pick a new bedding set.

Dad's the one who buys the gifts in my family.

Also, DH buys lots of presents for our girls so they will have plenty of memories of their dad buying them presents.

I'm loving reading about all the lovely dads. Some of you are very lucky.