Dads Quotes

“Children are gifts. They are not ours for the breaking. They are ours for the making.”
― Dan Pearce, Single Dad Laughing: The Best of Year One

“Dads. It’s time to show our sons how to properly treat a woman. It’s time to show our daughters how a girl should expect be treated. It’s time to show forgiveness and compassion. It’s time to show our children empathy. It’s time to break social norms and teach a healthier way of life! It’s time to teach good gender roles and to ditch the unnecessary ones. Does it really matter if your son likes the color pink? Is it going to hurt anybody? Do you not see the damage it inflicts to tell a boy that there is something wrong with him because he likes a certain color? Do we not see the damage we do in labeling our girls “tom boys” or our boys “feminine” just because they have their own likes and opinions on things? Things that really don’t matter?”
― Dan Pearce, Single Dad Laughing: The Best of Year One

“So many people think that they are not gifted because they don’t have an obvious talent that people can recognize because it doesn’t fall under the creative arts category—writing, dancing, music, acting, art or singing. Sadly, they let their real talents go undeveloped, while they chase after fame. I am grateful for the people with obscure unremarked talents because they make our lives easier---inventors, organizers, planners, peacemakers, communicators, activists, scientists, and so forth. However, there is one gift that trumps all other talents—being an excellent parent. If you can successfully raise a child in this day in age to have integrity then you have left a legacy that future generations will benefit from.”
― Shannon L. Alder

“Dads. Do you not realize that a child is what you tell them they are? That people almost always become what they are labeled? Was whatever your child just did really the “dumbest thing you’ve ever seen somebody do”? Was it really the “most ridiculous thing they ever could have done”? Do you really believe that your child is an idiot? Because she now does. Think about that. Because you said it, she now believes it. Bravo.”
― Dan Pearce, Single Dad Laughing: The Best of Year One

“Dads. It’s time to tell our kids that we love them. Constantly. It’s time to show our kids that we love them. Constantly. It’s time to take joy in their twenty-thousand daily questions and their inability to do things as quickly as we’d like. It’s time to take joy in their quirks and their ticks. It’s time to take joy in their facial expressions and their mispronounced words. It’s time to take joy in everything that our kids are.”
― Dan Pearce, Single Dad Laughing: The Best of Year One

“Dads. Do your faces light up when you first see your child in the morning or when you come home from work? Do you not understand that a child’s entire sense of value can revolve around what they see in your face when you first see them?”
― Dan Pearce, Single Dad Laughing: The Best of Year One

“I want to tell him that it's just a stupid car, but bits of me are scattered all over town; the graveyard, school, Cassie's room, the motel, and standing in from of the sink in my mother's kitchen. It takes too much energy to gather all the bits together, so I just sit there and watch him implode. ”
― Laurie Halse Anderson, Wintergirls

“Do you not realize that your kids are going to make mistakes, and a lot of them? Do you not realize the damage you do when you push your son’s nose into his mishaps or make your daughter feel worthless because she bumped or spilled something? Do you have any idea how easy it is to make your child feel abject? It’s as simple as letting out the words, “why would you do that!?” or “how many times have I told you…”
― Dan Pearce, Single Dad Laughing: The Best of Year One

“Accept the fact that girls squeal when they're happy or confused or excited or scared or because they just saw a certain boy in line.”
― Harry H. Harrison Jr., Father to Daughter: Life Lessons on Raising a Girl

“The best fathers have the softest, sweetest hearts. In other words, great dads are real marshmallows.”
― Richelle E. Goodrich, Slaying Dragons: Quotes, Poetry, & a Few Short Stories for Every Day of the Year

“It’s time we stand up and demand more of the fathers of this world. It’s time we stop buying into their rationalizations and their sorry explanations. It’s time we give our kids a fighting chance.”
― Dan Pearce, Single Dad Laughing: The Best of Year One

“Loving my son, building my son, touching my son, playing with my son, being with my son… these aren’t tasks that only super dads can perform. These are tasks that every dad should perform. Always. Without fail.”
― Dan Pearce, Single Dad Laughing: The Best of Year One

“I won,” said Chelsea’s dad, and went to give Chelsea a high-five, but missed, as they were standing too close.

“My fault,” he said. “That was my fault.”

“Oh,” Chelsea said.

And he stepped back a little and tried again, but Chelsea, distracted now by something—maybe the plant in the far corner, standing and waiting like a person in a dream; or maybe the green shoe or some other thing that was out there and longing, to be looked at, and taken—wasn’t ready, and their hands, his then hers, passed through the air in a kind of wave, a little goodbye.”
― Tao Lin, Bed

“He looks again towards the door, expecting Mum to walk in and remind him of something he's forgotten. He smiles awkwardly.
'Is that it, Dad? I've got to go.'
'Your Mum said I should mention ... um ... satisfaction.'
'What!'
'She said young men should know things, should be told things so that the girl won't be ...' his eyes plead for understanding, '... disappointed.'
[...] 'No worries, Dad. My biology teacher said I was a natural.'
Dad looks confused.
'I'm kidding, Dad.'
[...] Poor bloke, having to do the dirty work while Mum's off with her gang.
'Dad? What did Grandpa tell you about sex?'
'He said if I got a girl pregnant, he'd kill me.”
― Steven Herrick, Slice

“The Bible explains that his Word is a lamp for our feet and a light to our path. Lamps only allow you to see the next few steps, not the whole path. There is going to be a purpose behind every step. Our path is not going to be fully known, but we will be discovering our purpose with each step. We can be confident that every step will be taken with purpose. Knowing that the end of the path is being with Jesus for eternity gives us strength, encouragement, and hope to continue walking. The farther you walk, the clearer your path becomes.”
― Steven Kolberg, Reviving Fatherhood: Guiding Every Dad from First Steps to Lasting Legacy

“A heart after God is someone who longs and desires to consistently be in the presence of God. It is through time spent with God that we are led, step by step, with purpose along the path planned for us to walk. As we walk, we are becoming the masterpieces God designed us to be. When we reach the end of our life here on earth, we will be the perfect masterpiece he had designed, and we will be walking into the arms of Jesus, hearing the words “Welcome home, son. I love you, and I am so proud of you!”
― Steven Kolberg, Reviving Fatherhood: Guiding Every Dad from First Steps to Lasting Legacy

“Trusting God with the tools and talents we have is vital to our becoming. It is easy to compare ourselves to others and think we have nothing to offer or are missing the mark, or to doubt our potential.”
― Steven Kolberg, Reviving Fatherhood: Guiding Every Dad from First Steps to Lasting Legacy

“The same applies to us. The gifts and talents we have from God are given for what he has in mind for us. Do not pick up a body suit of armor and sword when God built you to fight with the sling and stones.”
― Steven Kolberg, Reviving Fatherhood: Guiding Every Dad from First Steps to Lasting Legacy

“Am I the only one? I have come to notice, in my comparison, that I am only comparing (1) what I feel insecure about, (2) what I have chosen to lay down or sacrifice for what I believe God has called me to pursue, or (3) what I do not have. If I get caught up in comparing myself, I slowly start killing my focus on the calling I know God has set before me, ignoring gratitude for how he made me, and I start trying to attain what is not meant for me.”
― Steven Kolberg, Reviving Fatherhood: Guiding Every Dad from First Steps to Lasting Legacy

“When society sees us, they should see Jesus reflected through our behaviors and actions. We get a choice to live differently, but the strength to do this is not on our own. The strength is because of the power of the Holy Spirit within us. Do not forget this; it is extremely important. God does the work to change us, but we get to choose to live differently.”
― Steven Kolberg, Reviving Fatherhood: Guiding Every Dad from First Steps to Lasting Legacy

“Imagine if your wife, kids, and all your relationships interacted with you and walked away feeling like they knew about who Jesus was a little bit more because of you. The world is hurting for more Christians to stop telling people how to live and start showing people what a changed life looks like.”
― Steven Kolberg, Reviving Fatherhood: Guiding Every Dad from First Steps to Lasting Legacy

“What does this mean for us as fathers? It looks like having a devoted relationship with Jesus, being fathers after the Father’s heart. Our character will begin to be shaped and molded into that of Christ, and we will start to take on the template of the greatest Father. Imagine looking a bit like God in your parenting.”
― Steven Kolberg, Reviving Fatherhood: Guiding Every Dad from First Steps to Lasting Legacy

“Interestingly, the most important piece of advice I would give to any dad is also the most basic. Here it is: your kids are not yours. Your children are God’s children.”
― Steven Kolberg, Reviving Fatherhood: Guiding Every Dad from First Steps to Lasting Legacy

“God created human beings and filled them with souls. They come into the earth in the form of babies that are in need of nurturing, love, and care. As time goes on, teaching and training become imperative for their survival in this world. But that is not all children are.”
― Steven Kolberg, Reviving Fatherhood: Guiding Every Dad from First Steps to Lasting Legacy

“If we will not do the little things like change a diaper, swaddle our young one, or sit down and play with them, why would we think we can be intentional with the large things in their life? Here is a little bit of wisdom. In order to have the relationship for those hard midnight kitchen-counter conversations, there has to be trust. Trust is developed over time. Changing diapers and doing the little things through the infant and toddler years develops in your child a sense of trust. These are little things to you, but very big things to them. As time goes on, these little frequent tasks will turn into larger and not-as-often ones. Are we willing to be prepared?”
― Steven Kolberg, Reviving Fatherhood: Guiding Every Dad from First Steps to Lasting Legacy

“In this American culture, I see mass confusion around what priorities should be. I sense that they do not exist or we have two foundational ones, like family and work. Life becomes a mess when we do not have the right priorities or hold them in the incorrect order.”
― Steven Kolberg, Reviving Fatherhood: Guiding Every Dad from First Steps to Lasting Legacy

“Time and priorities go hand in hand. We are only given so much time on this earth, and where we spend it and with whom we spend it matters.”
― Steven Kolberg, Reviving Fatherhood: Guiding Every Dad from First Steps to Lasting Legacy

“Nothing is more important in life than your relationship with God. He is the Creator of all relationships, so he should be number one. These Scriptures clearly show that our time spent with God needs to come above all else. On the top drop of our relationship waterfall, God resides. We can give God all our heart, soul, mind, and strength when we give him our first. This verse does not say to just give God your heart, soul, mind, and strength. It says give all. It is impossible to give all if we have already given away to other relationships.”
― Steven Kolberg, Reviving Fatherhood: Guiding Every Dad from First Steps to Lasting Legacy

“Don’t make yourself an idol. Since it feels good to fill up our cup, it can become too easy to give ourselves too much time and let the other relationships in our lives take a hit. Make sure you are not taking too much time away from the other relationships in your life. Find the balance.”
― Steven Kolberg, Reviving Fatherhood: Guiding Every Dad from First Steps to Lasting Legacy

“Dyl-man. Doxie," Daddy said. He was on the big gray couch in his underwear, doing social media on his phone. Vera could tell because his mouth was open.”
― Gary Shteyngart, Vera, or Faith