Father's Day quotes are all around us. But instead of searching the card aisle for the perfect sentiment, maybe you should seek out something greater — real dads who tell it like it is. Dads come in all shapes, sizes, and colors, but they all have one thing in common — they know that it's their job to help their children become strong individuals.
Good dads deserve a lot of praise. Fathers help shape our world in so many ways, and for many of us, they're the ones who've helped inspire us to lead. They teach us how to use our voices and are by our side throughout life's biggest milestones. Chances are, your own dad helped you learn how to ride a bike or drive a car. Those are memories that will last a lifetime, so it's important to showcase your love and appreciation this holiday.
Here are some of the best quotes for the special dads in your life.
Funny Father's Day Quotes
"When I was a boy of 14, my father was so ignorant, I could hardly stand to have the old man around. But when I got to be 21, I was astonished at how much the old man had learned in seven years." — Mark Twain
"You can tell what was the best year of your father’s life because they seem to freeze that clothing style and ride it out." — Jerry Seinfeld
"Father's Day is important because, besides being the day on which we honor Dad, it's the one day of the year that Brookstone does any business." — Jimmy Fallon
"We wondered why when a child laughed, he belonged to Daddy, and when he had a sagging diaper that smelled like a landfill, 'He wants his mother.'" — Erma Bombeck
"Fatherhood is great because you can ruin someone from scratch." — Jon Stewart
"Men should always change diapers. It's a very rewarding experience. It’s mentally cleansing. It's like washing dishes, but imagine if the dishes were your kids, so you really love the dishes." — Chris Martin
"Having children is like living in a frat house. Nobody sleeps, everything’s broken and there’s a lot of throwing up." — Ray Romano
"Raising kids may be a thankless job with ridiculous hours, but at least the pay sucks." — Jim Gaffigan
"By the time a man realizes that maybe his father was right, he usually has a son who thinks he's wrong." — Charles Wadsworth
Thoughtful Father's Day Quotes
"What you teach your children, you also teach their children." — Unknown
"On behalf of every man looking out for every girl, you are the God and the weight of her world." — John Mayer
"Any fool can have a child. That doesn't make you a father. It's the courage to raise a child that makes you a father." — Barack Obama
"The only way I can describe [fatherhood] — it sounds stupid, but — at the end of How the Grinch Stole Christmas, you know how his heart grows like five times? Everything is full; It's just full all the time." — Matt Damon
"It's chaos at times, but there's such joy in the house. I look and there's our boy from Vietnam and our daughter from Ethiopia, and our girl was born in Namibia, and our son is from Cambodia, and they're brothers and sisters, man. They're brothers and sisters and it's a sight for elation. We have the capability to give a child a home, and let me tell you it's selfish, too, because the reward has been extraordinary." — Brad Pitt
"It is a wise father that knows his own child." — William Shakespeare
"My father used to say that it’s never too late to do anything you wanted to do. And he said, ‘You never know what you can accomplish until you try.'" — Michael Jordan
"It's only when you grow up and step back from him — or leave him for your own home — it's only then that you can measure his greatness and fully appreciate it." — Margaret Truman
"My dad was my best friend and greatest role model. He was an amazing dad, coach, mentor, soldier, husband, and friend." — Tiger Woods
"Great fathers don't find fault. Great fathers find solutions." — Reed Markham
"Average fathers have patience. Good fathers have more patience. Great fathers have an ocean of patience." — Reed Markham
Father's Day Quotes All Dads Can Appreciate
"The nature of fatherhood is that you're doing something that you’re unqualified to do, and then you become qualified when you do it." — John Green
"The heart of a father is the masterpiece of nature." — Antoine François Prévost
"I have found the best way to give advice to your children is to find out what they want and then advise them to do it." — Harry S. Truman
"I decided in my life that I would do nothing that did not reflect positively on my father’s life." — Sidney Poitier
"I'll never forget the moment I became a dad. It's hard to describe — that level of responsibility, the desire to give such joy, the clarity: Nothing is more important than this." — Tom Cruise
"My father gave me the greatest gift anyone could give another person. He believed in me." — Jim Valvano
"While he was alive, I was Dad's life. Now, making good for Dad is my life." — Mickey Mantle
"I had watched Dad climb into the biggest arena and succeed. I wanted to find out if I had what it took to join him." — George W. Bush
"The greatest mark of a father is how he treats his children when no one is looking." — Dan Pearce
"Every great achiever is inspired by a great mentor." — Lailah Gifty Akita
"To be the father of a nation is a great honor, but to be the father of a family is a greater joy." — Nelson Mandela
"A father carries pictures where his money used to be." — Steve Martin
"The most important thing a father can do for his children is to love their mother." — Unknown
"I've said it before, but it’s absolutely true: My mother gave me my drive, but my father gave me my dreams. Thanks to him, I could see a future." — Liza Minnelli
"A father’s tears and fears are unseen, his love is unexpressed, but his care and protection remains as a pillar of strength throughout our lives." — Ama H.Vanniarachchy
"It is not flesh and blood, but the heart which makes us fathers and sons." — Johann Friedrich von Schiller
"[Fatherhood] is the most insanely amazing, most beautiful, unbelievable thing that can ever happen to you." — Justin Timberlake
"No matter what drama I deal with at work, when I get home and hear them scream, 'Daddy!' I forget whatever it was I was stressed about." — Mario Lopez
Father's Day Quotes Perfect for New Dads
"Dads are most ordinary men turned by love into heroes, adventurers, story-tellers, and singers of song." — Pam Brown
"I cannot think of any need in childhood as strong as the need for a father's protection." — Sigmund Freud
"One of the greatest titles in the world is parent, and one of the biggest blessings in the world is to have parents to call mom and dad." — Jim DeMint
"A father's smile has been known to light up a child’s entire day." — Susan Gale
"Being a dad isn't just about eating a huge bag of gummy bears as your wife gives birth. It means being comfortable with the word hero." — Ryan Reynolds
"Being a daddy's girl is like having permanent armor for the rest of your life." — Marinela Reka
"There is nothing that moves a loving father’s soul quite like his child's cry. — Joni Eareckson Tada
"Never is a man more of a man than when he is the father of a newborn." — Matthew McConaughey
"What we become depends on what our fathers teach us." — Umberto Eco
"Having a kid is like falling in love for the first time when you're 12, but every day." — Mike Myers
"Peace is the beauty of life. It is sunshine. It is the smile of a child, the love of a mother, the joy of a father, the togetherness of a family. It is the advancement of man, the victory of a just cause, the triumph of truth." — Menachem Begin
