When you teach your son, you teach your son’s son – The Talmud

There’s definitely something about seeing a Dad with his kids that reaches deep down to stir that inner cluckiness & warm fuzziness, it makes you want to take out your camera and capture the moment – even when it’s a complete stranger, a father holding his daughters hand as they walk by in the street or a Dad with his kids at the park!

Deciding what to get Dad (whether it be your Dad or your children's Dad) for Father’s Day is often a tough decision and, like any other celebration we can tend to get caught up in the monetary or practical value of the gifts, forgetting the real value in showing someone you appreciate who they are and what they do for you. So how do you celebrate a man who has such an influential role in your life?

Sure Dad may want some socks, Geatest Hits DVD, or even a new power tool, but even more than that, he probably wants some simple quality time with his family, time that we often don’t get to enjoy in this busy rat race of a life we live, especially if your kids are a bit older and at the stage where they enjoy spending time with other people (parents don’t count as people!). You definitely don’t have to spend a fortune to show your love and appreciation, as the saying goes, "it's the thought that counts".

Here are some budget conscious ways of showing the Dad in your life he’s worth it

• Dad will appreciate a home made gift from a child of any age. Whether it be a piece of coloured paper folded and “drawn” on to make a card, or a beautiful canvas, the point is, it’s made with love and will be a piece he’ll cherish far more than anything hallmark could create

• Make him sit down with a beverage while you cook up a storm of his favourite foods – on the BBQ. Yes there may be some resistance when he sees Mum & the kids head for his beloved man kitchen but if you can find the key to unlock to the shackles and prize the BBQ tools out of his hands, he will definitely appreciate a few marinated BBQ prawns (or burnt snags) while he gets to sit, relax and enjoy the family. Just make sure he doesn’t get used to it!!

• Does Dad like being outdoors? We’re never too far from a beach, nature reserve or bushwalk. Take a picnic or move your BBQ to the local park.

• If it’s a rainy day go to the movies. There’s plenty of movies that the whole family will enjoy and it’s not really about the movie anyway, there the joy in watching the delight on your child’s face in front of “the biggest TV you’ve ever seen” and the memories the experience creates

• Why not ask the Dad in your life what HE wants to do? And do whatever you can to make it happen

Personally, watching the father of my children (my husband) interact with them provides sense of pride and partnership and a feeling of security, knowing that someone in the world loves, cherishes and nurtures my children as much as I do.  

I love and admire his joy in doing simple things with the kids, like taking them to the skate park to watch the “big kids” or to the construction site to see the diggers & bulldozers. He plays tractors (their bodies are the tractors) & Smash-em-ups with the Hot Wheels cars and takes the time to brush our daughter’s hair every night after her bath (and is sure this is the reason her hair is growing so quickly).

It’s not until you sit down and reflect on these day to day activities that you realise how important a Dad is to his children and how lucky I am to have a special one for mine.