I saw an advert for Father’s Day the other day. It featured the world’s most beautiful man, with his stunning wife, and two children who could have been genetically bred to resemble a real life Ken and Barbie.

The dad was unwrapping some kind of power tool, and everyone was smiling so much, I found myself wondering if any of them had pulled a cheek muscle during the photo shoot.

I know I was supposed to look at the picture and think the only way to give a man that kind of smile was to buy him a power tool for Father’s Day, but come on, there are only a few things you can give a man that will make him smile like that, and most of them don’t involve a power tool. So what is the ideal gift to get a dad?

Well, failing him giving you a list, I think the best thing you can give a dad this Sunday is the knowledge he’s ‘done good’.

Take it from someone who, over the years, has wasted a lot of money on golf accessories, gimmicky books and completely useless gadgets. Blokes aren’t like us girls; they don’t ‘need’ gifts on special occasions.

Unlike us, they’re lucky enough to be blessed with a trigger in their brain that says ‘that’s just tat’.

This year we will have been without my dad for five years and, if he’s up there watching, I’m sure a part of him is probably thankful for five years of ‘executive gifts’ he hasn’t had to unwrap.

At the weekend I was sitting beside a friend who was holding his four-week-old son. He was completely smitten and you could tell he now had one mission in life – to do everything he possibly can to help his son grow up to be a happy and healthy adult.

I don’t know about you, but telling your dad he’s managed to do that seems a far better present than a pair of socks.

So to my dad, and any others out there who: ran behind their child’s bike the first time they rode it (and put plaster on their knee when they fell off); who collected their daughter when she broke her ankle skating at the age of 13 (and bargained the cost of setting it down to a carton of beer); who didn’t get mad when you caught your daughter reading Famous Five by torchlight after her bedtime; and who was always on hand to chauffeur her to countless sleepovers (yes mum, I know you did too, but it wouldn’t be fitting to mention that while talking about Father’s Day); I just wanted to say, you did a great job.

Take it from someone who once had to say her final goodbye to her dad over the phone; if there ever was a day you should pick up the phone to say hello and thanks to your dad, it’s this Sunday.