In blended families, parent-centric holidays like Mother’s Day and Father’s Day can be stressful for kids who are often unsure whether or not they should acknowledge and celebrate their stepparents. For many children, stepparents are an integral part of their lives and should be celebrated.
But is a parent-centric holiday the right time to celebrate stepparents? Kids and families may want to celebrate a stepparent on the day that honors the parent specifically.
There’s a StepMother’s Day. The holiday is celebrated the Sunday following Mother’s Day.
Leanne Rimes brought attention to Stepmother’s Day during a recent interview when she discussed celebrating the day with her husband and stepson. However, while stepmoms have their day, stepfathers are seemingly left in the dust.
Although Stepparent Day is celebrated on September 16, currently there’s no specific holiday to celebrate stepfathers. For all those stepdads out there, we’re going to set a date to celebrate you!
Now that we’ve added Stepfather’s Day to the calendar, it’s time to find the perfect gift! For busy working stepdads, check out a few of these great gift ideas:
Go Extreme
For the guy who loves extreme sports and experiences, give a gift of an extreme thrill. Treat him to a racecar ride with a pro…or give him the opportunity to get behind the wheel.
If he’s dreaming of skydiving, now’s the chance to make his dream come true! The adrenaline rush from the experience will kick out any stress from the work week!
Give Him a Helping Hand
The best gift is often the easiest. Celebrate Stepfather’s Day by helping him take the day off.
See what can be checked off of his list around the house so he can relax. Tell him his list is not his responsibility today…and then take over!
Dinner and Dessert
Take dad to dinner to treat him for the day! Call ahead and make reservations at his favorite restaurant. And don’t forget to order him dessert!
Indulge His Sweet Tooth
Out of town stepchildren can send a customized cookie bouquet. If he loves to travel, give him a unique trip around the world…gifted in candy!
Discover all kinds of crazy chocolates, gummies and more to indulge his sweet tooth. Be sure to include some crazy flavored Kit Kats from Japan.
Schedule a Day of Play
Celebrate Stepfather’s Day with a trip to a local outdoor rec park. These often include Go-Karts, batting cages, arcades and bumper boats.
Spend the day together and see who can get the highest scores and win the most tickets!
Home Run!
If he’s a fan of baseball, take him to a home game! Treat him to all the fun ballpark treats—hot dogs, cotton candy, and nachos!
Win or lose, have fun hanging out and cheering on your favorite players! And extra bonus points for including a special message to him on the Big Screen!
Jam at a Concert
What dad wouldn’t love going to see his favorite concert artist live with his family? Take your dad to a concert and listen to some legendary music artists like Paul McCartney, War, Chicago and the Steve Miller Band.
There are many deals out there on concert tickets and tickets are often below face value on the day of a concert because brokers need to get rid of them.
Most of the time event tickets can be sent via email and printed out at home right up to show time. This is a great way to get to see A-List Performers at low prices – plan ahead and map out a strategy.
Don’t forget to look for promo codes for different events because savings codes will give you additional savings.
If stepmoms have their own holiday, then stepfathers should have the honor, too. Celebrate stepdads on Sunday, June 25th. And give him a gift that shows he’s appreciated…and loved.
How can we have a day recognizing Stepmother’s and not one for Stepdad’s? Please join me in a campaign of contacting our political leaders requesting the establishment of Stepfather’s Day. Be on the lookout for a blog with more information.
I think a good sense of understanding and not putting fathers under the pressure of heavy expenses is the best gift every child can ever give their father.
I never consider that, my son is on a four-year government scholarship (West Point cadet) so I’m grateful to not have the typical college expenses many dads have. Thanks for sharing.
Gerardo