With Father’s Day nearly here, we asked readers who is harder to buy gifts for – fathers or mothers?
The products or services listed have been independently tested by our journalists. We earn a commission from the affiliate links in this article. ","yLinkElement":"context_link","yModuleName":"content-canvas","yEventDescription":"context_link_tap"}" href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/recommended/why-you-can-trust-telegraph-recommended/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Read more >
Father's Day is just a few days away, bringing with it a familiar challenge of finding a present that will be appreciated.
As well as asking readers what makes the perfect Father's Day gift , we also asked 112 of you who is harder to buy presents for. Unsurprisingly, fathers came out on top.
If you're still struggling to decide on what to buy, you're not alone – but perhaps these stories from our readers below will provide some inspiration for that last-minute gift.
"Fathers are harder"
The majority of readers agree that gifts for mothers tend to be easier. After all, when in doubt, you can always buy your mum flowers for Mother's Day.
The gifts fathers want tend to be more practical and hobby-based, which can be harder to get right.
Ali, 42, from the South West, recalls the disparity in gift giving for her parents. "My dad was always much harder to buy for than my mum. She liked books, smellies, sweets, biscuits, wine, cheese and flowers... We always ended up buying him Old Spice."
"Mothers are much easier," agrees Ann, 76 from London. She points out that "even if not thrilled, they will smile and not let you see that they don't like a gift. Fathers are not so much like that.
"My dad often used to say, 'What is it?' when he opened a present, even though it was obvious what it was."
Eleanor, 33, from the South East, describes a similar experience with her father. "My father is harder! Nowhere near as grateful for any gift. It just either doesn't get used or fails to elicit any form of emotion. I've given up, to be honest."
The challenge only grows with age, as described by Michael, 78, from the East of England.
"Presents for elderly fathers are always difficult," he says. "They are usually in love with their tools and object to modern ones as being too difficult, expensive, or do not do the job properly.
"Maybe you might find the answer one day, but do not be dismayed if you don't."
Richard, 67, from the South West, concurs: "Fathers are most difficult to buy for, without a doubt. Since becoming a father myself, I'm probably perpetuating the problem as I can never think of anything I would like."
Some readers, like Sue, 62, from Yorkshire, have fathers who scorn gifts, only to appreciate them when the need eventually arises.
"My father was a nightmare. My sister surprised him one year with a fan heater. Typically, he said she had wasted her money, but it was a very cold February and her present became the best thing he'd ever had. There's fathers for you!"
If all else fails, readers suggest abandoning the gift hunt altogether. "Spending time with him is the best gift of all," says George, 40, from London.
"Mothers are harder"
While fathers may have a reputation for being difficult, these readers disagree. Their fathers are grateful for almost anything, but their mothers tend to have higher expectations.
Stephen, 74, from Yorkshire, puts it simply: "Fathers are just happy to actually get something. Mothers expect a present and are very fussy about what they get. Better to buy them a voucher."
Echoing a similar experience is reader Andrew, 54, from the East of England, who says "my father was always grateful for any gift", whereas "my mother always asks, 'Did you keep the receipt?'"
Some readers, like Michael, 69, from the South East, think that mothers would be easier to buy for if more of them liked gadgets. "I am a father who loves gadgets and has a large number of them (or so my wife tells me).
"My wife, the mother, is much more difficult as she doesn't like most things the children or grandchildren buy for her."
Deborah, 56, from the South West agrees that "mothers are very tricky to buy for", especially her mum, who "tends to already have the things she wants".
Sometimes an experience over a traditional gift can work as an alternative option. "Last year, I booked mum a zip wire experience at the Eden project for her 76th birthday," Deborah explains. "I may have set the bar a bit high, but it went down well."
For other readers, the secret to buying for fathers is simple. Once you find a gift they love, stick with it.
"I buy my father the same thing for every occasion, a bottle of very good single malt," says Kenneth, 51, from the East of England. "He is always extremely happy, so it's very easy, whereas with my mother, it's a different story altogether."
"They're equally difficult"
Several readers are unconvinced that one parent is harder to buy for than the other, with success depending more on the individual than their gender.
"Honestly, I find both mothers and fathers equally difficult to buy for," says Ella, 47, from the North East, who finds her parents "a complete nightmare when it comes to gifts".
From her experience, she advises others "to think about hobbies, favourite memories or practical things they wouldn't necessarily buy for themselves" as a starting point for gift ideas.
Saying that, it's not always that easy: "If anyone has cracked the code for impossible-to-buy-for parents, I'm all ears," Ella adds.
For reader Jennie, 45, from London, the challenge lies in buying for parents who could not be more different when it comes to gifts.
"My mother always says the usual, 'You don't need to get me anything,' but if I were to miss getting a gift, not only would I feel awkward when my sister's massive bunch of flowers was put in the vase, but I think she would feel affected.
"But getting it right is difficult because she never says what she wants or even what she likes. It's all based on back-handed personal research."
Her father is a different kettle of fish, she explains. "He is all about ownership and wants things to hold. I could give a bottle of wine or Baileys and he'd keep the bottle as some sort of mascot.
"Not giving him a present is a serious offence and there will be difficult consequences."
"They're equally easy"
Not every reader finds buying gifts for their parents a challenge. For Jayne, 66, from Yorkshire, it comes far more naturally.
"One year I got my dad a pair of wireless earphones because my mum always complained when he played his brass bands from his choir CDs. He was in a local male choir and had a beautiful baritone," she describes.
"For my mum, it was one of those heated blankets you can wrap yourself in," Jayne says. "She was always cold, even in the summer and she praised it as being the best gift ever."
"After she died, my dad wrapped himself in it, claiming it was as good as his nightly hug from her."
Last-minute Father's Day gift ideas
If you're still without a gift for Sunday, here are some ideas from readers and Telegraph editors.
If you'd like to be included in future articles, and earn points towards vouchers for your contributions, please sign up to the Recommended Community .
