There may not be a father in the family picture, but it is still possible for children to celebrate Father’s Day. As a mother, it is important for you to acknowledge your child’s desire to celebrate Father’s Day.

No matter how difficult it may be, discuss with your child why there is no father in their life. Don’t let your personal feelings get in the way. Your child will sense your anger and resentment and may clam up. Let your child know it’s perfectly natural for them to want to celebrate Father’s Day and find out what they would like to do. Is there a favorite place their father liked to go or a favorite game he liked to play? It won’t be the same without Dad there, of course, but by going to his favorite place or playing his favorite game, your child will be doing something their father would have enjoyed doing with them.

Depending upon how your child feels about their dad, you may want to suggest to them that they put their feelings on paper and write a letter to their dad. You don’t have to mail the letter. You could just attach it to a helium balloon and release it or burn the letter and scatter the ashes. Be sure to explain to your child the symbolism behind the gesture, letting go of their feelings and getting their message to their father.

Your child may want to make a gift for their dad for Father’s Day. Help them, and if possible, arrange for them to send the gift to their dad. If not, have them place the gift next to a picture of their father or near his headstone if he is deceased.

If your child has a special male figure in their life, ask that person if they wouldn’t mind celebrating Father’s Day with your child in some way. It doesn’t have to be anything big. If your child wants to make the person a gift, let them. Be sure to let the person know they will be receiving a gift and arrange for a time to drop it off.

If your child has never had a male figure in their life, sit down with them and find out what they think they have been missing. Then try to create those experiences for them.

Explaining to your child why there is no father in their life can be tough. It is important that you do so, however, since other children will be talking about Father’s Day and what they are doing to do for their dads. You don’t have to go all out. All you need to do is acknowledge your child’s desire to celebrate Father’s Day in some small way.