What did you get your parents for their retirement?

[wavepool]

Just looking for good ideas!

[rootbeerfloat]

More requests to babysit?

Really, nothing.

[cricketwife]

Nothing.

[CloudBee]

We threw my dad a party.

[Gato]

Nothing for either. It never occurred to me, but now I'm feeling guilty.

[JRo]

Nothing.

[badtzmaru22]

Dad: nothing.
Mom: a new baby.

[pooh8402]

Dad: nothing
Mom: still working

DH's parents were already retired when I met them. He says he didn't do anything special for them either.

[matildasun]

My dad officially retired the day A was born. I probably should have sent him something, but I am bad about such things.

[jenn248]

We're throwing my mom a retirement/60th birthday party in a few weeks. We're also having a t-shirt quilt made for her; she has shirts from the different schools where she's worked (she's been a guidance counselor for 30 years), as well as shirts dating back to the different restaurants where she waitressed in college. They've all been in a box in the attic for years.

[steamboat185]

Nothing really. We got FIL a really nice bottle of whiskey.

[sneetch]

When FIL retired, we bought him gift certificates for little things that he and MIL said they were excited to do together. Like movie tickets so they could catch a matinee, Barnes and Noble gift card so they could go there to read and sip coffee, passes to a botanical garden, etc. They seemed to really like it.

[wavepool]

I'm liking all of these answers of nothing.

[wavepool]

May 13, 2016 14:17:35 GMT -5 sneetch said:

When FIL retired, we bought him gift certificates for little things that he and MIL said they were excited to do together. Like movie tickets so they could catch a matinee, Barnes and Noble gift card so they could go there to read and sip coffee, passes to a botanical garden, etc. They seemed to really like it.

Liking this. And they're moving to our city, so we know things they might like to do.

[anna7602]

Nothing. My mother retired right around the time DD was born and my father retired when I was moving to France. I was kind of preoccupied!

Also, I didn't realize this was a gift-giving occasion for anyone but your co-workers or boss.

[niq]

Dad hasn't retired yet, but I'll make sure president Hillary Clinton sends him a card, lol. I might do some sort of home audio/home theater thing for him.

Mom, uhhhhhh...

[laurenh]

I went to his work party and we bought him whiskey.

[jenn248]

May 13, 2016 14:17:35 GMT -5 sneetch said:

When FIL retired, we bought him gift certificates for little things that he and MIL said they were excited to do together. Like movie tickets so they could catch a matinee, Barnes and Noble gift card so they could go there to read and sip coffee, passes to a botanical garden, etc. They seemed to really like it.

This reminds me - my mom's colleagues did something similar for her.  They made a little wreath with a sign that said "Retirement is my happy place," and stuck gift cards in the wreath for Panera, Dunkin Donuts, Cold Stone, etc. 

[moopoint17]

My mom threw a party for herself when she retired. My sister got her a full-time job babysitting her kids. I followed up with kids of my own 5 years later.

My dad got nothing.

[Willis Jackson]

Were we supposed to get them something?

[wavepool]

May 13, 2016 15:24:55 GMT -5 Willis Jackson said:

Were we supposed to get them something?

Ha, I don't know. I think that's why I'm asking, and why I'm glad to see so many "nothing" answers. Mine aren't having retirement parties, but I feel like we should do something to celebrate it.

[Susie]

Nothing for either. My mom retired in 2013, and got a party thrown by her work and an award for her service. My dad retired in 2015, and spent the entire following academic year receiving awards from the university, from professional organizations that he'd been on the boards of, etc.

We throw big birthday parties for decade years in my family, but retirement is more of a work-centric thing.

[loskadoodle]

Laptop

[IrishBelle]

I got my mom flowers. Dad is still working.

[starburst]

My dad just retired and it never even crossed my mind to get him something.

[turtlegirl]

I know DH and his siblings went to a big retirement party for FIL. MIL was kind of on a second career and just slowly stopped working/taking clients, no big "retirement".

My mom got laid off and then 2 months later I got pregnant and she never went back to work and watches my kids 2-3 days a week now, lol.

My step dad is still working and he's big into sales, VP level, etc. So I know in a few years when he does retire well need to do something or get something for him. It's going to a big deal when he finally stops working.

[bronxgirl]

It never occurred to me to get them anything. I didn't realize that was a gift giving occasion.

[nextbigthing]

A grandson named after him. DS was born right after he retired

[sandyapples]

We took my dad out for a fancy dinner.