This study aims to understand the parent--child purchase request relationship, which encompasses the interactions that take place between parents and children during the purchase request process, from the perspective of fathers. Social norms, patterns of family formation and the role of fathers within the household are changing. The majority of research concerning the parent--child purchase request relationship is dated and neglects these changes, including shifts in family interactions, communications and decision making, and their impact on the parent--child purchase request relationship. Therefore, a new direction is needed to research what is occurring in the purchase request relationship between fathers and their children. This paper sets out to address the current gap in understanding fathers' purchase request experiences. In order to capture the experience of fathers, the use of an interpretivist approach, in conjunction with phenomenology as a methodology, has been employed. In addition, the departure from extant positivistic research to an interpretive approach proved very beneficial in uncovering fathers' experiences. The findings are presented through several emergent themes where fathers view themselves as the sensible authoritarian parent and view the parent--child purchase relationship as a naturally-occurring family relationship dynamic. These thematic findings position the parent--child purchase relationship, from the perspective of fathers, in a positive light, where an understanding of the purchase request relationship permeates this natural familial interaction.