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Gift for my ex-husband?!?!?
Last night my oldest son (age 9) came to me and said he was really worried about what he was going to do for a Christmas gift for his dad. Now his father and I are not exactly on the greatest of terms, however, I was so proud of my son, I wanted to cry. In the middle of the season that tends to be all about what you are going to get (at least for kids), he was thinking about what to give. His father doesn't have much family, and what he does have has some pretty major substance abuse issues, and my son was worried that he wouldn't have anything to open. I don't know what to do for my ex? I was hoping someone here would have some kind of a simple craft idea that the boys could make for him. From my perspective, the gifts they make in school are the best part of the holiday, and that is what I look forward to the most. So to make him something seems the right way to go about it. However, I have no clue what to make. Any ideas or opinions here would be great. This is the first year that this has come to play, as their father was MIA for the first 5 years after our divorce. This is his first Christmas sober, and I am glad that the boys want to do something for him. I just don't know what???
Re: Gift for my ex-husband?!?!?
My favorite ornament I ever made in school was this little popsicle stick frame with my kindergarten photo in it... My teacher had us color the sticks with markers, first, and then just arranged them like log cabin logs... I hope you can picture what I mean... Well anyways, they were secured with Elmers glue and I sprinkled glitter all over it... Damn, I miss that ornament!
Maybe take the kids to a craft store and let them find their own ideas of what would interest them AND make a good gift?
My parents still put up the picture frames my sister and I made when we were younger. The boys could either make them out of craft sticks or you can buy blank wooden frames at Hobby Lobby/Michaels and decorate those and then put a picture in it. You could also get tickets to a movie preordered on Fandango or something and the boys could take him to see it, kind of like a father/son bonding type of deal.
Sorry that I don't really have many ideas, but I think it's great that you have kids who are thinking about others and aren't just "me, me, ME!" all the time.
I've got more issues than a magazine
This reminded me of a gift we gave my dad several years ago. We had a mug from Shutterfly with my grandson's picture on it, and it was my dad's favorite gift ever. He had his morning cup of tea out of that cup every morning and cherished it until the day that he died.
I think this is a great idea, and I almost guarantee your city has a "paint your own pottery" place that you can take the kids to. That way you get to spend some time with them, and the boys get to make something for their dad. Usually places like that have a TON of stuff to pick from...Christmas ornaments, coffee mugs, picture frames (that you can later put a picture in), etc. It usually takes about a week for the stuff to fire, so you'll need to go soon. After it comes out though it looks just like a regular mug and you can eat on it, wash it, etc.
I also love those hand-print things, depending on how old the kids are. There are kits at Micheal's. You can also get some oven-bake clay and have them make little ornaments. I did that with some kids I used to babysit for (7yo boy and 9yo girl) and the kids had fun making them and the parents LOVED them.
I am a step-mom and every year I take my step-daughter to buy something for her mother. Her mom isn't fond of me, but I really don't care. I take the high road anyway.
We have gotten her framed pictures, gift cards to the movies, made ornaments, cookies, movies, small figurines of snowmen (she collects that kind of stuff), fun socks, and CDs in the past. Although I wish she would give her a calendar since her mom is so unorganized!
My 4 year old is giving his dad (my XH) tickets to go to a junior hockey leauge hockey game.
I like the idea of something that they can do together
I told my EH to take our DD out and let her pick something out for me and I would do the same. We gave each other a $5.00 max.