He’s back! Our favorite daddy blogger Small-Town Dad is back but this time he’s got advice on gifts for dads (especially stay-at-home dads) who survived the summer with the kids at home. Dads, you deserve it!

Congratulations! You Survived the Summer.
by Valentine J. Brkich

According to the calendar, we still have a few weeks to go. But let’s face it: once school starts, summer is pretty much kaput. And for a lot of fathers out there –especially all you other stay-at-home-dads out there –the end couldn’t have come soon enough.

Don’t get me wrong, after that long, brutal winter, I was looking forward to summer just as much as the next guy. But the sunny season has it’s challenges, too, particularly if you’re stuck at home with the little ones all day. It’s hard to get anything done when you’re constantly applying sunscreen, reapplying sunscreen, making snacks, making lunches, cleaning up lunches, taking them to the park, taking them to the pool, putting on bandaids, pulling out splinters, putting them in timeout, taking them out of timeout, and so on, and so on…

So when school finally starts again and someone else has to deal with the little monsters…I mean, little munchkins, all day long, it’s definitely a time to celebrate! And of course, no celebration would be complete without gifts.

That said, I’ve come up with a list of gift ideas, perfect for all those fathers out there who somehow managed to survive the summer. Way to go, dads! You deserve it!

A Hotel Room

His own bathroom. His own TV and remote. His own bed. And a locked door to keep out any kids. What more could a man ask for? A two- or three-day stay should be sufficient.

Nice Val! If it’s truly just the hotel room he needs, check out Hotels.com (it’s the obvious choice). If you’re looking for a little nicer of a get-away, we always find great finds at Jetsetter.

An Air Compressor

By the end of the summer, after blowing up all those rafts and water wings and beach balls, many dad’s are looking like Satchmo after a night on the trumpet. And after refilling the little tykes’bike tires, basketballs, soccer balls, footballs, etc., that old hand pump has seen better days. Besides, nothing says “Thanks, Dad!”better than an industrial-strength tool.

And…industrial strength air compressor we found. Check out this air compressor from Amazon. With 98 reviews (I bet most are dads) and 5 1/2 stars, you can’t go wrong.

A Still

Let’s face it, by the time August rolls around, most dad’s are too pooped to go anywhere. So when they’re looking to wind down a bit, why not bring the bar to them? After a hard day’s work in the O.R., did Hawkeye and Trapper go to the Officer’s Club? Nope. They came home for a nightcap in the comfort of their own tent. (And if the kids ask, just tell them it’s for making paint thinner; that way you’re not really lying to them.)

As it turns out, we actually like the idea “a still” (good job Valentine!), so we did some research and found this 1 Gallon Moonshine Kit for $149.

Noise-Canceling Headphones

Because the kids have to come home from school at some point.

Consumer reports are in. The best noise cancelling headphones are the Bose Quiet Comfort, but if you can’t afford the hefty $250 + price tag, check out the Monoprice 110010 at $110.

Of course, these are just a few ideas that came to mind. For even more, let my good friends at Lily&Strum hook you up. After all, they’re the gift experts. I’m just a dad who survived the summer.

But we agree with Val, if you would like us to find you tailored recommendations just sign up for our free service and see for yourself what we can do!

Valentine J. Brkich is a father and freelance writer from Beaver, Pa. His blog, smalltowndad.com, chronicles his many adventures raising two young kids in small-town America.

For more great gift ideas or to discover new sites and products, follow Lily&Strum on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram or Pinterest. Happy gifting!