These Heartfelt Father-Son Quotes Will Make Dad Downright Emotional

We love a good father-daughter moment, and even have a list of girl-dad quotes to prove it. Of course, we know the bond between fathers and sons is just as strong and special. Just ask Ladd Drummond! Ree and Ladd welcomed sons Bryce and Todd in 2002 and 2004, respectively, and added their beloved "bonus kid" to the family (that's Jamar to you!) in 2020. So it's safe to say Ladd's had lots of experience with the whole father-son thing—decades of it, to be precise. The whole family (including daughters Alex and Paige) showered Ladd with love last Father's Day, and we're sure this one will be no exception.

To all the sons out there, if you're looking for ways to celebrate your own father on Father's Day, his birthday, or any other day, don't underestimate the power of words. Our collection of heartfelt father-son quotes will go a long way toward making your favorite guy feel loved and appreciated. Each and every saying, lyric, and excerpt on this list will show him just how much you care—even if you can't find the words to say it yourself. After all, there are few Father's Day messages quite as meaningful as this family quote from Johann Friedrich von Schiller: "It is not flesh and blood, but the heart which makes us fathers and sons."

Oh, and if you're looking for a lighter Father's Day quote that will also give Dad a chuckle, consider this hilarious option from Jerry Seinfeld: “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.” Classic!

“My father was my teacher. But most importantly he was a great dad.”

“It's a father's duty to give his sons a fine chance.”

“How come my 3-year-old son knows every species and genus of dinosaur and I can't even remember my home phone number?”

“My strong determination for justice comes from the very strong, dynamic personality of my father. I have rarely ever met a person more fearless and courageous than my father.”

“Becoming a dad means you have to be a role model for your son and be someone he can look up to.”

“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.”

“The older I get, the smarter my father seems to get.”

“When a father gives to his son, both laugh. When a son gives to his father, both cry.”

“I hope I can be as good of a father to my son as my dad was to me.”

"I talk and talk and talk, and I haven't taught people in 50 years what my father taught by example in one week."

"Anyone who tells you fatherhood is the greatest thing that can happen to you, they are understating it."

"Fathering is not something perfect men do, but something that perfects the man."

"My dear father; my dear friend; the best and wisest man I ever knew..."

"The bond that links your true family is not one of blood, but of respect and joy in each other's life."

"A father's love is forever imprinted on his child's heart."

"His values embraced family, reveled in the social mingling of the kitchen, and above all, welcomed the loving disorder of children."

"A good father is one of the most unsung, unpraised, unnoticed, and yet one of the most valuable assets in our society."

"My daddy, he was somewhere between God and John Wayne."

"Anyone can be a father, but it takes someone special to be a dad, and that's why I call you dad, because you are so special to me."

"The nature of impending fatherhood is that you are doing something that you're unqualified to do, and then you become qualified while doing it."

"With sons and fathers, there's an inexplicable connection and imprint that your father leaves on you."

"My father didn’t tell me how to live. He lived and let me watch him do it."

"My father taught me not to overthink things, that nothing will ever be perfect, so just keep moving and do your best."

"The impression made by a father's voice can set in motion an entire trend of life."

"Every father should remember one day his son will follow his example, not his advice."

"Being a great father is like shaving. No matter how good you shaved today, you have to do it again tomorrow."

"My father used to play with my brother and me in the yard. Mother would come out and say, 'You're tearing up the grass.' 'We're not raising grass,' Dad would reply. ’We're raising boys.'"

"A man knows when he is growing old because he begins to look like his father."

"My favorite thing about being a father is just seeing my kids grow and do some of the same things that I did when I was a kid, man."

"Being a father is the most important role I will ever play and if I don't do this well, no other thing I do really matters."

"I decided in my life that I would do nothing that did not reflect positively on my father's life."

"When you're young, you think your dad is Superman. Then you grow up, and you realize he's just a regular guy who wears a cape."

"It is not flesh and blood, but the heart which makes us fathers and sons."

"To be the father of a nation is a great honor, but to be the father of a family is a greater joy."

"Every son's first superhero is his father, and it was the same for me. For me, he was Superman and Batman combined."