Father's Day Gift Ideas for Expectant Dads

While pregnant, expectant mothers are showered with attention, advice, and praise, but even as the baby begins to kick, expectant fathers begin to doubt their impending new parent status. A woman feels like a mother from the instant she realizes the existence of the new life growing within her, but for new fathers, the process is more difficult. Offering a Father's Day gift to an expectant father is a way to celebrate his new status and help him embrace his part in the new life he has helped create.

Traditional Trinkets

For a man who has never been honored as a father, a traditional Father's Day gift may be the best choice to introduce him to his new role. A tacky tie is the classic example: choosing a tie in a baby blue or pastel pink shade can connect the expectant father to his new son or daughter. Other novelty ties may have "Dad" or "Daddy" printed on them, or may be decorated with baby-oriented patterns such as bottles, pacifiers, strollers, or toys. While these may seem like corny choices, many men will delight in the opportunity to proclaim their new parent status - an expectant mother, after all, needs no such accessory for people to realize she's about to be a mommy.

Other traditional Father's Day gift ideas include tools and home maintenance equipment: to associate these items with a new baby, choose tools that are needed to prepare for the infant's arrival. Childproofing equipment, kits to assemble baby furniture, and paint for the new nursery are excellent options. Such gifts will not only offer the father the opportunity to indulge his handyman skills, but also to use those skills to welcome his new child into a safe and happy home.

A third Father's Day gift option for traditionally minded men is a simple cake or card that honors their role as a new parent. Bakeries are happy to create customized desserts with pastel baby colors, names, and congratulatory messages, and stationers have a wide range of greeting cards available for fathers in any stage of parenthood.

Father's Day Gifts to Introduce the New Baby

Depending on the pregnancy's progression, Father's Day may be the ideal time to share the news with a new father about his upcoming bundle of joy. Simply finding a way to announce the news and congratulate the father will make the holiday memorable, though expectant moms should not attempt to hide the announcement for long just to coincide with Father's Day. If he is unaware of the joyous event, however, there are any number of creative ways to introduce him to his new role.

A traditional gift can get the message across without preamble, while a more subtle approach will break the news gently, particularly if the pregnancy is unexpected or the couple has been disappointed in the past. Presenting him with a baby name book, instruction guide for new fathers, or a pregnancy expectation book will not only announce his new status, but will also involve him in his child's life from the very beginning. An even more subtle and humorous option is presenting the new father with a meal served with baby utensils or featuring an array of "baby" foods - baby back ribs, baby carrots, and so forth.

Father's Day Gifts to Cement the Father-Child Bond

Many new fathers unintentionally resent a woman's easy ability to bond with the new baby, and Father's Day is the ideal opportunity to guarantee that a new daddy will be able to create just as strong a connection to his child. Different gifts that the father and child not only honor the dad's new parental status, but also insure that he will be able to share caring, intimate moments with his son or daughter. Storybooks can foster nightly bedtime rituals, themed toys can initiate a shared hobby, and pint-sized versions of Dad's favorites (tools, sports equipment, etc.) can demonstrate that not only are the man's passions important, but that he is welcome to share them with his child.

From tacky traditional choices to sentimental selections, there are dozens of Father's Day gift ideas for expectant fathers. The key to choosing the best gift is to remember that dads are parents too, and any gift that both honors that role and encourages them to be part of their child's life will be treasured for years to come.