70 million dads 

Richard Nixon signed a proclamation making Father’s Day a federal holiday in 1972, and with 70 million dads in the U.S., there’s a lot to celebrate. We spend over a billion dollars on Father’s Day gifts each year, traditional gifts have evolved from neckties to tech gadgets, but grilling and spending time with family are still the favorite way for most dads to spend the day.

My father gave me the greatest gift anyone could give another person, he believed in me.  –Jim Valvano

The most important job  

In a Modern Dads survey conducted by Today, 75% of men believe fatherhood is the most important job they’ll ever have.  Dads play a huge role in the lives of their children – and play is the key word. Recent research has revealed that one of the biggest impacts dads have is in introducing play to their children. Both moms and dads play with their kids, but where moms tend to let the child lead playtime, fathers provide more of a “come on, let me show you how” kind of play that stimulates kids mentally and physically. It’s an essential component of development.

Fathers, like mothers, are not born. Men grow into fathers and fathering is a very important stage in their development. – David Gottesman

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Priceless  

Most studies focus on the importance of an actively involved father in a son’s life. Boys definitely benefit from having dad around, but so do daughters. Daughters with dads who are present and active in their childhoods are more likely to graduate from college and achieve higher-paying positions. The encouragement they receive from their dads impacts every part of their lives, from their self-esteem to their ambition.

My father didn’t tell me how to live. He lived, and let me watch him do it. – Clarence Budington Kelland

2.6 million

According to Pew Research, there are 2.6 million single dads in the U.S. Nearly half of all dads spend time each day doing housework, preparing food, and participating in cleanup.

Having children is like living in a frat house – nobody sleeps, everything’s broken, and there’s a lot of throwing up. – Ray Romano

Here’s to celebrating dads everywhere!