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Fathers want more time with kids, not gifts

By He Na (China Daily)
Updated: 2009-06-22 08:30

After a day scouring the stores at the Xidan shopping mall in Beijing, Yang Rui and her husband slumped onto a bench and heaved a sigh of relief.

They were exhausted but they had finally found a gift for her father on Father's Day, which fell yesterday.

They had looked at racks of trousers, T-shirts and ties, and shelves of cameras and CDs. "But finally we saw this electric foot massage," said Yang, 28. "It is the best gift for him to dispel his fatigue after a hard day's work."

Like other Western festivals, such as Valentine's Day and Mother's Day, Father's Day, which falls on the third Sunday of June, has gained popularity in China in recent years.

For business owners, it is good news, especially this year, with trade dropping sharply during the economic downturn.

Most shopping malls in the capital rolled out Father's Day promotions yesterday, offering big discounts on cigarette lighters, male cosmetics, clothes and shoes.

At supermarket chain Ito Yokado in Beijing, Father's Day banners hung above almost every counter and aisle.

Shopper Zhang Fei, spurred on by the ads, said he had bought tea and biscuits for his father and had already mailed them to his hometown in Henan province.

"My father may not even know what Father's Day is, but for me it is a way to show my love for him," said Zhang.

Many restaurants also had special deals, with pizza chain Papa John's offering customers the chance to make their own heart-shaped pizzas for their fathers for 86 yuan ($12).

"My father is over 50 now, so I bought him a health check card as the gift to show I hope he will be healthy forever," said Hou Xin, an officer for Beijing Rongchang Culture Spreading Co Ltd.

Online sellers also got in on the action, with thousands of themed products up for grabs on the popular auction websites Taobao and EBay.

But although sending a present is a good way for children to show their love, it may not be what fathers want.

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A poll by Baby Kingdom, an online forum for Chinese parents, showed 68 percent of the fathers have between just 30 minutes and two hours of private time with their children every day, while around 16 percent have less than 30 minutes a day.

The findings showed most dads would rather spend more time with their children on Father's Day than receive a gift.

A survey by Southern Metropolis Daily, a newspaper based in Guangzhou, had a similar result and showed more than 50 percent of fathers valued their child's company, communication, care and understanding above expensive goods.