Present for parents - help needed

[Yummy Mummy]

Guys, I need your help.

I want to do something for my parents to thank them for all of the support they have given me in the past year since my marriage separation, but I have no idea what to do for them. I want it to be something special, cos they have put in so much time and effort into supporting me and my son over the past year. I was thinking of sending them away for a weekend, or something similar, but I am at a loss.


They have supported me by collecting my son from creche of an evening, and cooking his meals if I can't make it in time after work. Now, my dad comes over to my place at 7.30am EVERY morning to look after my son when I leave for work. They drop him at school and collect him every night. They take him to his tennis and swimming lessons as they are in the early afternoon.
My mum drops around cooked meals for me to last the week so I don't have to rush around after work preparing dinner, and at least once a week, I arrive home with all of my washing done and ironed, laid out in each room ready to be put away. If she ever knows I will be having visitors of a night, she comes to my house during the day when I am at work and makes sure it is nice and clean.
I wake up on a Saturday morning to find my dad halfway through mowing my lawns. if I was ever struggling financially, they helped me out, even though they are not in a prime position to do so.

I probably never really appreciated them while I was growing up, but now I am in awe of what they do for me, and I want to repay them somehow. But I just want it to be really special.

Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks guys.

[EA2BA]

I wouldnt suggest a holiday, if anything like my parents and they never took holidays or rarely travelled it may not be something they will truly appreciate.

Maybe something that they can keep for ever, they can always look at it and be reminded that you truly appreciate all the sacrafice that they have gone through, to allow you to get where you are today.

[BJ]

What make's you think they don't already have the greats gift there is, You. I know it can be hard at time and that we all take our parents for granted but they love us for all we do the good and the bad, i think all they need to know is that you Love them and the rest will take care of it's self, or maybe dinner and both you and you son's life long devotion.

[big fella]

Show them this thread. I bet just knowing that you appreciate them and are more than happy to make your feelings public would warm their hearts

[foxtrot]

Originally Posted by big fella

Show them this thread. I bet just knowing that you appreciate them and are more than happy to make your feelings public would warm their hearts

big fella is a bit of a big softy awwwwwww thats a sweet Idea mate

[EA2BA]

I was just out at the shops and saw those glass things with the photos computer/laser etched into them, get one of them, find a photo with your parents, yourself, and your son in it.

[KEV EB XR8]

"Best present in the whole world is yourself and your son"

Material things im sure would not have place value in thier lives from what you have described.
Enjoying thier company on surprise visits not connected with day to day visits and allowing them to help raising/helping the little fella when needed im sure is forfilling.

You are a very lucky girl to have such wonderfull parents
Be proud of them.

[gtfpv]

yeah i'm sure they probably dont need anything other than seeing you your son and your ex happy. but most probably the best for them would be to see thier grandchil;d brought up well , sounds like your ex is leaving his responsability up[ too them a bit too much though. they may need a weekend away somewhere. its a shame that your dad is doing house work around your house. i dont know your ex or you but hope you both do evrything possible to make your little fella happy,kids need both parents and all grandparents to love them immensely thats all that matters and i guess the ultimate gift for your parents would be to see your ex doing more responsible things for his son , too take some of the burden off them. thats what i'd want if i was a grandparent any way . just to see evry one happy and doing thier bit . my sister drops the kids off to my parents house all the time, they love it but i think my nephew and niece need to spend more time with both thier parents. then i know my parents would be happier.
so id' say just a weekend away, on you might suit them. hope that helps.

[Penelope Pitstop]

I too am very lucky and have extraordinary parents and show them my appreciation as often as I can. We are a very close family and it warms my heart doing nice things for them.

Now we all know your parents don’t expect anything and they genuinely love helping you and looking out for your young boy. What about organising a group portrait session and getting some lovely photos of your parents, yourself and your littlie… Time goes by so fast it might be nice to capture this moment where the loyal ties of family are stronger then ever. Parents and Grandparents love photos and a professional photo shoot is great fun for everyone and it creates gorgeous images of your loved ones that you will all cherish forever.

Good Luck with it, they will love and be delighted with whatever you choose.

Cheers, Tori

[chief]

I am not trying to sound cheap but put together a scap book of the highlights in your parents highlights and yours to. Put photos together, make sentences by cutting letters out of different magazines. If you put a notice in the paper about your sons birth and have a copy of it put it in. Your sons first haircut, do you have a locket of his hair? All this type of stuff put into one of those big art diary books would be a great idea. Its not the money value that counts its the thought and thats what I like about this idea.

[Pinkbits]

Originally Posted by big fella

Show them this thread. I bet just knowing that you appreciate them and are more than happy to make your feelings public would warm their hearts

You beat me to it! or maybe a night w/end away at a nice b&b where they would be pampered in return.

[kooky]

I will say that my son has the best grandparent's he could ask for, he is a very lucky young lad. My heartfelt thanks goes to them for all the support they have shown through a very difficult time.

Yes, I am YM's ex.

And If my opinion counts, my suggestion would be a group photo shoot as I know your Mum's love of photographic memories, I think that would be a lovely gesture.

[4.9 EF Futura]

Throw em a party. No, no - no strobe lights, djs or ectasy... just a quiet gathering of family and friends. Tidy the place up, throw a few streamers around, BBQ, bit of tom jones and some nice bottles of wine.

Maybe even make it a bit of a suprise?

[Yummy Mummy]

Thanks for the suggestions guys.

As kooky put it, my Mum loves photos of the family, and I hadn't even thought of a group photo, so I think I will organise that.

......not sure how my brother and sister will like it though.