It’s almost Father’s Day, and that means finding the perfect present for your dad – and all the dads you know. But dads change over time, and so does Father’s Day gift giving.
Millennials are very invested in self-care, and millennial parents are no exception. In fact, millennials have been called the self-care generation, focused much more heavily on experiences and wellness than on acquiring status objects.
But while much of the focus on work/life balance and self-care traditionally focuses on women, millennial men are increasingly focused on becoming fathers. While “millennial” is often used as code for “recent college grad,” this is no longer the case. Most estimates of the millennial generation have it starting in 1980, meaning that millennials are now entering (or are well into) their 30s — prime age for marriage and/or parenthood.
For male millennials, fatherhood is often an important part of the picture of happiness. According to the 2016 study, “The New Dad,” conducted annually by Boston College, millennial men with children report higher life satisfaction than their childless counterparts.
Millennial men are much more likely to share the responsibility – and stress – of running a household. A full 80% say that they share food and shopping responsibilities, and more millennial fathers watch parenting videos than millennial mothers.
Millennial fathers are suffering from the same difficulty of finding “me time” as mothers are. Because of persistent stereotypes, they may find it more difficult to get time off to care for children or take paternity leave. And 26% of men identified themselves as the primary caregiver in a 2016 Babycenter survey.
When it comes to gifts, many millennial dads don’t want ties, aftershave lotion, or whiskey as much as they crave gifts that will help them take care of themselves and their families. Consider these three Father’s Day gift ideas for the modern millennial dad.
Time for wellness
As the saying goes, put your oxygen mask on first before assisting others. That means time for self-care that fits into hectic millennial schedules. Men can benefit from massage much more than they might suspect, and in-home massage gift cards from Zeel deliver a five-star massage to the homestead (after the kids are in bed).
Backpack for dad duty
Millennial dads on the go don’t just need to carry around laptops and gym clothes — diapers, bottles, and snack pouches enter the mix as well. Consider an all-in-one backpack with chargers for electronics, a cooler for bottles, and separate spaces for other kid supplies. This aptly-named “daddybag” has it all. (Moms might enjoy this chic black backpack too!)
Home herb garden
Millennial dads love to cook, but might not have time for a full-fledged garden. He might like this DIY home herb garden — he’ll be throwing freshly harvested basil onto little Hunter’s pizza bagel in a matter of weeks. Plus gardening can reduce stress for busy dads, too.
Suggested Reading: Massage On Demand, The Perfect Father’s Day Gift
