Trends for June 11, 2001

Lisa Ferguson

Monday, June 11, 2001 | 8:31 a.m.

Dear old dad

You gave a shout out to Mom last month. Now it's time to give props to Pop.

Just a reminder: Father's Day is Sunday. Here's a bit of holiday history from of all places the American Furniture Manufacturers Association in North Carolina:

Father's Day has been celebrated by Americans since 1910 after a woman named Sonora Dodd devised it while listening to a Mother's Day sermon at church. Dodd's dad was a widowed single father and she wanted to honor him for raising six children on his own. President Calvin Coolidge got on board with the idea in 1924 and President Lyndon Johnson made it official in 1966 with a proclamation.

By the numbers

Dodd's dad, it seems, was a trendsetter of sorts.

According to U.S. Census Bureau figures, there were 2 million single fathers in this country last year; 201,000 of them raised three or more of their own children who were under age 18; and 196,000 of them were raised infants less than a year old.

Of those single dads, 913,000 of them were divorced; 693,000 had not married; 350,000 were wed to an absent spouse; and 88,000 were widowers.

Gorilla of a gift

If we've told you once, we've told you a million times: Don't buy Dad another tie!

Get him a primate instead. No, not a real, banana-eating ape, but a Monkey Gram.

The plush monkey comes dressed for the occasion, bearing a personalized, handwritten message and chocolate truffles. (In case you were wondering, the funky monkeys can also arrive decked out to help celebrate birthdays, anniversaries and graduations, and wearing a cast on one limb to send get-well wishes.)

To order a Monkey Gram, which start at $39.95, call (800) 858-5101.

Time keeps ticking

OK, so maybe Dad's not a monkey man. There are plenty of other items he really does need.

Time, for example. At least that's according to the findings of a recent survey conducted by surprise! ServiceMagic.com, an online company that connects homeowners with contractors, handymen and maids to help people (what else?) save time.

According to its survey, dads want time off from having to do household projects, specifically taking care of the lawn 39 percent said they want that task to be handled by a professional service.

A handyman to do "small to medium repairs" is on the wish list of 25 percent of dads.

Twenty-five percent of fathers want someone else to do whatever painting work is needed, while 11 percent want someone to do "deck maintenance."

But, hey, isn't that why he had kids in the first place?