Gifts for parents who have everything
For the mum who says “honestly, I don’t need a thing”, and the dad who buys whatever he wants the minute he wants it. Ideas that won’t end up in a drawer, at every budget.
Why “they have everything” is the hardest brief
Once your parents reach a certain age, the gift problem flips. They’re not short of anything. They’ve downsized, or they’re trying to. Every new thing is one more thing to find a place for.
And they mean it when they say they don’t want anything. What they’re really saying is “I don’t want more stuff”. That’s different from “I don’t want you to bother”.
The gifts that land with parents who have everything are usually about time, memory and people. Here’s what we’d suggest to a friend, starting with the ones that cost very little.
Ten gifts for parents who need nothing
Some you can make, some you can book, and one is what we do. We’ve said which is which.
A year of dates, booked in
A calendar with a lunch, a walk or a visit already arranged for every month. The gift is the time, and the fact you planned it.
A day back where they grew up
Drive them to the street they lived on, the school they went to, the beach from their childhood holidays. Then let them talk.
Their photos, rescued and labelled
Borrow the shoebox of prints, scan the best ones and give them back as a book. Ask them to help with names and dates. That’s half the fun.
The family recipe collection
Mum’s soup, Dad’s Sunday fry-up, the Christmas cake nobody else can make. Write them up with a photo of each and give a copy to every branch of the family.
A letter from each of their children
Every grown-up child writes down one memory and one thing they’ve never quite said. Parents keep letters. They read them again and again.
Something they used to love, again
Tickets to see the band they danced to, a round at the golf course they used to play, a night at the theatre they haven’t been to in years.
A family tree, drawn up together
Sit with them and map out the family as far back as they remember, then have it printed and framed. The stories that come out are the real gift.
A guided memory book
A book of questions about their life to fill in at their own pace. Our own Story Books are coming soon.
Questions at the dinner table
Print a few free question cards and pass them round after dinner. “What was your first job?” starts better conversations than “how’s things?”
Their life story, on film
A relaxed, guided conversation about their life, filmed properly and edited into a keepsake the whole family will watch for years. This is what we do.
A gift for the dad who says he wants nothing
Most dads are hard to buy for because they don’t talk about what they’d like. But ask most dads about the car they had at 19, or the first house, or what their own dad was like, and you can’t stop them.
That’s why a life story film works so well for dads. It doesn’t feel like a fuss. It feels like a chat. When Dennis sat down to tell his story, his grandson heard things about the war, Korea and sixty years of marriage he’d never heard before.
Watch real family storiesA gift for the mum who already has three candles
Mums tend to be the keepers of everyone else’s memories. The birthdays, the photos, the stories about you as a baby. Their own story often goes untold.
A gift that turns the spotlight round is a lovely thing. When Kat sat down with her mum Tina in our studio, she asked the questions she’d never found the moment for. There were tears, and a lot of laughter. Now Kat has her mum’s story, in her mum’s own words.
See how a life story film works
Clubbing together for one gift that matters
If there are a few of you, one shared gift almost always means more than five separate ones. It also takes the pressure off any one person’s budget.
- Agree a budget early, and have one person collect the money.
- Pick something that involves all of you, like a day out together or a film the whole family will watch.
- Each child adds something personal: a letter, a photo, a question they want answered.
- With us, families can split the cost of a film between them, and Klarna is available too.
What a life story film is, and what it costs
Your parent sits down for a guided conversation about their life, in our Motherwell studio or at home. We help with the questions, keep things relaxed, and film it properly. Then we edit it into a film the family will keep, delivered on a USB in a keepsake box with a private link to share.
- The Studio Story, £295. Up to an hour of conversation in our studio, with our tried-and-tested questions.
- The Signature Story, £595. Up to two hours, in the studio or at home, with questions shaped around their life and their photos woven in.
- As a gift. Vouchers come by email or as a printed card, and are valid for 12 months, so they can choose a date that suits them.
There’s more detail on our guide to what a life story film costs.
Buying for parents who have everything
What do you buy parents who have everything?
Something that gives them time, a memory or a reason to talk, rather than another thing to store. Days out, photo books, letters from their children and a film of their life story are all good choices.
What is a meaningful gift for elderly parents?
One that shows you value them and their story. A filmed conversation about their life is one of the most meaningful, because the family keeps it long after the day.
Will my parents feel awkward on camera?
Most people worry about it, and most forget about the camera within ten minutes. It’s a relaxed chat, not an interview. They can stop, skip a question or take a break at any time.
Can we split the cost between brothers and sisters?
Yes. Families can split the cost of a film, and Klarna is available at checkout.
How long is a gift voucher valid?
Twelve months. They can book a date that suits them, in the studio or at home.
Give them the chance to tell their story.
Life story films from £295. Vouchers by email or printed card, valid for 12 months.