There’s nothing quite like the relationship between a father and his children.
Notably, the words of wisdom passed down from father to kid have a way of sticking in young minds. In honor of Father’s Day, we asked our readers which pieces of fatherly advice stayed with them through the years. Their answers varied from the profound to the practical — but all of the advice is sound and timeless.
On taking care of business
“Do it right the first time. There are too many people in this world who take shortcuts — don’t be one of them.” —Nate R.
“Even people who love you can be wrong. You just do what you need to do.” — Elizabeth H.
“You can go to school now and in four years you’ll have a degree. Or you can choose not to go back — but either way, those years will pass.” — Victoria Z.
On financial matters
“My dad said, ‘Don’t buy that BMW. Buy something you can afford to fix. I wish I had listened to him!” — Casey H.
“Max out your 401k contributions.” — Kellie W.
“He told me to finish college. My two siblings and I all got degrees because Dad wanted that for us.” — Jennie A.
“Dad’s famous quote: ‘It’s only money.’ Meant to remind me (and himself) that people and experiences are more important than one’s bank account balance. Ironic coming from someone who worked in a bank. Or maybe that’s the reason he said so. — Pamela K.
On interpersonal relationships
“You are far too precious to be treated casually.” — Mary M.
“Keep your stick on the ice. And be brave.” — Emily S.
“You are who you hang out with.” — Kristen S.
“You can count your real friends on one hand.” — Catherine C.
On men
“At a wedding, Dad said, ‘Don’t dance with that guy. Go dance with that one over there instead.’ He was pointing to the man who would become my husband.” — Megan J.
“‘Don’t feel that you need to keep dating every guy you’ve ever brought home to meet us,’ he said. I didn’t like the advice at the time, but it worked out. I would have been destroyed otherwise.” — Adrienne P.
“My dad saw how hurt I was by a guy who was stringing me along. He said, ‘He needs to shit or get off the pot.’ It’s stuck with me for my entire adult life and helped guide my dating decisions.” — Holly S.
On life in general
“The number one rule is to have fun.” — Catherine C.
“Be a turtle. If you don’t stick your neck out, you won’t be able to go anywhere.” — Tiffany H. G.
“My dad was a stickler for good grammar and proper usage of words. As kids, we would sometimes ask him to take us ‘by McDonald’s.’ And he would take us by – as in we’d drive right past it. So now, I tend to be precise with my language, which – I guess – is a good thing for an editor. — Crystal B.
“Nothing good ever happens after 11 p.m.” — Allison P.
“The two words you should always watch out for are ‘trust me.'” — Allison H.
Thanks, dads, for pouring your love and your axioms into our lives. We’re better for it, and we are grateful.
So, what’s the best advice your dad ever gave you? Let us know in the comments section below.
This post was brought to you by Levi’s®.
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