Anyone can become a father, but it isn’t easy to be a Dad.
Moms and Dads provide the foundation on which a child experiences life and relationships. Dads are the heroes in their children’s lives. The qualities they represent become the blueprint for the kind of people their children become.
Dads create safe spaces for their children and offer them a pillar of emotional support and guidance. Children draw strength from their dads and want to make them proud. Supportive dads create confident, happy children, who have a lot of inner strength to weather the tough times.
A nice way to thank a dad who is strong, loving, and supportive is to write him a thank you letter.
When Do You Write A Thank You Letter To Dad?
You really don’t need an occasion to write a thank you letter to your dad. There are many times in our lives when we experience something that makes us appreciate everything our dads did for us.
Don’t let the moment pass! You can stay true to your emotions and express them in a thank you letter to dad.
Father’s Day is a good day to consider writing a thank you letter.
Physical gifts are nice, especially you get your dad something that he wants or needs and will last a long time. But there is something special about a letter. It is a great way to show your dad how much you love and appreciate him. A letter is a tangible gift that your dad will be able to appreciate long after the day is over.
Sometimes, we only realize how much our dads did for us when we become parents. This is a great time to acknowledge the sacrifices your dad made for you, and how much you learned from him.
Writing a letter on a special occasion is a great way to commemorate the day. But the bottom line is that you don’t really need an occasion to write a thank you letter to dad. He’ll feel loved and appreciated no matter when you write one to him.
Tips On Writing A Thank You Letter To Dad
Chances are that you know exactly what you want to say to your dad. You’ve known him your entire life. Only you know about all the reasons why your dad special.
Here are a few tips to helps you organize your thoughts and pen them down into a meaningful letter that your dad will cherish.
Write From The Heart
When you’re writing a thank you letter to dad, write honestly.
A letter gives you the chance to really think about and tell your dad all the things that you might find difficult to say out loud. You can think about all the things that mean more to you over the years, the difficulties you have faced that you dad has helped with – don’t shy away from any subject.
A thank you letter to your dad is a deeply private piece of mail between him and you. This is a great opportunity for you to be completely honest.
Don’t Be Afraid To Get Emotional
When it comes to emotions, men get a bad rap. It is assumed that they don’t or shouldn’t feel emotions and that’s just not true. If you’ve grown up with a loving and supportive dad, you know that you have the freedom to be as emotional as you like. And he might be emotional right back!
Even if he doesn’t show it, your dad will be moved by your feelings. He might not even know how much he wanted to hear about your emotions.
Explain Why You Think He’s Great
There are a lot of times when dads just do things. They save the day, fix what’s broken and make you feel better, all in a day’s work. Your dad may not even remember the stories you treasure. A thank you letter to dad is a space where you can tell the stories that made your dad a hero in your eyes.
Being specific about your appreciation is a thoughtful way of showing your dad how much you care. It shows that you were paying attention, even if he didn’t realize it, and is proof of how much you care.
Appreciate The Small Things
We always go running to our parents when we need them, but there are hundreds of other things that they do for us.
Your dad worked hard to support you, used up vacation days to visit you, helped you with your homework, made you dinner. There are a million and one things that your dad has done for you, so be sure to identify some to thank him for.
Tell Him You Love Him
We really don’t tell the people in our lives that we love them often enough. No matter how often you talk to your dad, it’s a great idea to tell him how much you love him. Write it down in your thank you letter to dad. Set it down on paper, uncompromisingly, honestly, and meaningfully. Your dad deserves to hear it.
If you want to see a few examples of a thank you letter to dad, keep reading!
Examples of Thank You Letter To Dad
Example #1
Dear Dad,
Happy Father’s Day!
I know we just talked on the phone, but I wanted to take some time to sit and write about how great you are. I know you don’t like to hear it, but you really are the best dad I could have ever asked for.
You’ve been around for me my entire life, whenever I needed you. I don’t think I’ve ever thanked you for coming to every single time I performed for the school band. So I’ll say it now, thank you. It really meant a lot to me that you were there, and I could see how proud you were of me.
Thank you for being there for me these last two years, when I didn’t know what was wrong with me. I felt like I was losing my mind when you swooped in like my very own superhero and got me the help I needed. I didn’t even realize I needed help, and there you were.
You’ve seen me through school, and now I’m going away to college, and it’s all thanks to you. It’ll be strange living away from you, but you’ve taught me to be independent and strong. I’ll do my best to make you proud. I love you Dad. Thank you so much for being my dad.
All my love,
[Your Name]
Example #2
Dear Dad,
Today, my son is a year old. He is finally asleep after a long party where you spoiled him with gifts, bubbles and all the love in the world. My son has the greatest grandpa. But this isn’t a letter from him to you.
I just wanted to take the opportunity to say – Thank you.
Thank you for being the best dad in the world.
Thank you for the sleepless nights, the bottle feeds, the early mornings, the bubbles and giggles.
Thank you for taking me to the park and playing with me the time all the other kids got sick and I was sad about being alone.
Thank you for helping me when I tried to rescue that bird from the roadside. And thank you for holding me when I wept after the bird died. Thank you for showing me that it was okay to fail.
Thank you for showing me how to study instead of grounding me for my bad grades. Thank you for going over my college applications, and after that, my job applications. I still use the format you gave me for my resumes. It still holds up, even after all these years.
Thank you for laughing at me, then supporting me through my pre-wedding jitters.
More than anything, thank you for showing me how to be a good dad. Because of you, I will be a good dad to my son, to your grandson. And that is the greatest gift you have given me dad. Thank you for all your love. I love you.
Your son,
[Your Name]
Example #3
Dear Dad,
This is a little out of the blue, but I thought it was important for me to write a letter to express how thankful I am to you.
Thank you for everything you have done and continue to do for me.
I know we had our disagreements when I was growing up. Even today, there are a lot of things that we don’t see eye to eye on. And that’s okay because you have taught me that people can disagree respectfully and lovingly.
I know and have always know that you only have my best interests at heart. Everything you say or do is to protect me and help me stay on the path to success. I know that you love me, that you want me to be happy and safe, and do the right thing.
We may not agree on the specifics, but if I’m a good person, it is because of you. I learned from you how to act, how to give generously, how to make someone feel special.
Despite all our issues, you have always been there for me, and I can’t thank you enough for it. I won’t ever forget how you took my puppy to the vet when I couldn’t, even though you hate dogs. You watched over him, gave him his medicines, cleaned up his messes, and never complained. Not once.
You’ve been a rock to me, and I love you for everything you are.
Love,
[Your Name]
Example #4
Dear Dad,
Today, I graduated college, and the only reason I got this far was you.
Thank you.
You worked so hard when we were growing up. I know you didn’t want us kids to know about the late nights and your third job, and how tight things were. And I want you to know that you succeeded.
I never felt like I was missing anything, growing up. We had food in our bellies, and your beautiful cakes on birthdays. Thank you for all the sacrifices you made for us.
I know you wish you could give us more than layers of biscuits dipped in milk for cake. But those were the best cakes I have ever eaten. In fact, I made one for myself today after graduation. My friends are eating it right now. I’m sending you pictures with this letter, because I know you won’t believe me.
Dad, you were everything to us. You were a mom and a dad and made sure I was never missing anything. I know you wish you could have been here for graduation, but its okay dad. But I knew you were with me. You always are.
I can’t wait to show you my degree in person when I come home. I did it Daddy! And it’s all because of you.
Thank you. I love you.
With all my love,
[Your Name]
Example #5
Dear [Your Name for your Dad],
You came into my life when I was a mess. When I didn’t want anything to do with you. You were the enemy to me.
Thank you for sticking with me dad. Thank you for not giving up on me. I love you.
You stepped up when you didn’t have to. I was old enough to know better.
But you were kind, compassionate, and took my pain on yourself. You made me better, because you made me want to be better.
I’m alive because you saved my life. I didn’t know how to thank you then, so I’m trying to do it now. Thank you.
Thank you for being a Dad to me even though I thought I didn’t want another one ever again. Thank you for seeing me through my grief, and for respecting it. Thank you for putting my needs above yours, for all the sacrifices you made so that I could have better chances.
Thank you for teaching me how to treat the people I love. I’m a better person than I was, and it is all because of you.
Your [Son/Daughter], [Your Name]