By Kathleen Harvey, AAP Columnist

As Father’s Day approaches, many of us think, “What can I get him?” What will say thank you for raising you, for being there to witness your triumphs and comforting you through the tragedies? For all the sports games he attended, celebrating with you when you won, commiserating when you lost? For teaching you how to be handy, repair your car or things around the house, how communication and compromise can help elongate a good marriage.

You can run to the mall to pick up a gift certificate or other mundane present, or you can do what your parents did for you: be there for them. This month’s article isn’t intended to be a guilt trip. However, many parents, and especially grandparents, when asked what they would like for presents, don’t respond with “things,” but rather the desire to spend time with their offspring. For those of us who are of a certain age and remember the song, “Cats in the Cradle” by Harry Chapin, his song sums it up succinctly. If you don’t spend time with your children when they are children, they will become just like you, and not spend time with you when you are older.

To bring that concept back to June and Father’s Day, consider spending time with your parents and grandparents. As we age, our bodies can no longer do what they once did when we were young. They don’t have the strength or stamina of younger folks. This is why properties belonging to older people are often not as well maintained as those belonging to younger folks. So, this Father’s Day, grab your kids and your tools and make a day of it. Spend time with parents and grandparents. Mow their lawn, pull weeds, prune overgrown trees and shrubs that once looked beautiful and are now a bit leggy and bedraggled. Feed the trees, shrubs, and flowers. Plant some annual flowers like petunias, geraniums, or impatiens to provide a pop of color in the garden that can be enjoyed all season long. If you don’t like to dig, colorful annuals are readily available in hanging baskets that can hang from the porch.

Next, go inside and look for things like leaky faucets, or old light switches and outlets whose wiring may be fraying. Look in wet areas like the kitchen and bathroom to verify that GFI outlets have been installed and are still working properly. Test smoke detectors to make sure those are working, and replace batteries if they haven’t been replaced recently. Grab a paint brush and refresh the paint on the walls of a room that is used frequently, like the kitchen, master bedroom, or bathroom. I guarantee these small tasks will make a big impact on an older person’s life.

Then when everyone is tired, have a backyard barbeque with your extended family. This treasured time will build memories and traditions for you and your kids and grandchildren. Happy Father’s Day!