150+ Best New Dad Quotes

Image: Midjourney/ MomJunction Design Team

Stepping on the journey of fatherhood with the first baby is more than an emotional transition; it’s a life-changing experience that comes with joy, challenges, and priceless moments (1). So, celebrate this journey with a collection of ‘becoming a father for the first time’ quotes that capture the range of emotions with this new phase of life. Share how you feel holding your baby in your arms and shedding those happy tears from your eyes. You may even express how you would like to spend your quality time with your sweetheart, teach them good habits and support them in learning little things in life, and achieve milestones as they grow. Your involvement shapes your child’s emotional, social, physical, and brain development. You’re actively fostering their growth and well-being by being a positive role model and engaging with them in a loving, supportive way (1). We understand the excitement you are experiencing, so our post can help you announce the news. These quotes are thoughtfully chosen for relevance to fatherhood and emotional depth, capturing the inspiration and motivation that arise from the joys and challenges of becoming a father.

Quotes For New Dads

As a new daddy, you will have a good time with your little one. At the same time, enjoy diaper changes, refilling milk bottles, and singing nursery rhymes on your adventure ride.

1. “It’s an ongoing joy being a dad.” —Liam Neeson
2. “A father doesn’t tell you that he loves you. He shows you.” —Dimitri the Stoneheart
3. “One father is more than a hundred schoolmasters.” —George Herbert
4. “I’m a father; that’s what matters most. Nothing matters more.” —Gordon Brown

Image: IStock

5. “Never is a man more of a man than when he is the father of a newborn.” —Matthew McConaughey
6. “Son, brother, father, lover, friend. There is room in the heart for all the affections, as there is room in heaven for all the stars.” —Victor Hugo
7. “Fatherhood is the greatest thing that could ever happen. You can’t explain it until it happens; it’s like telling somebody what water feels like before they’ve ever swam in it.” — Michael Bublé
8. “When I first held my son in my hands, I had a feeling like I am Superman. One day when he’s grown up, he will realize his father is just a regular guy who wears a cap, but a real life Superman for him”—Unknown
9. “What makes you a man is not the ability to make a child, it’s the courage to raise one.” —Barack Obama
10. “After waiting for nine long months, I’m finally relaxed and happy to become a proud daddy of a little angel.”—Unknown
11. “Any man can be a father, but it takes someone special to be a dad.” —Anne Geddes
12. “Becoming a father made me much more interested in the parent character in my novels. I’ve never found parents that interesting.” —John Green
13. “I had no expectations about fatherhood, really, but it’s definitely a journey I’m glad to be taking.” —Christopher Meloni
14. “Dads are most ordinary men turned by love into heroes, adventurers, story-tellers, and singers of song.” —Pam Brown
15. “In my career, there’s many things I’ve won and many things I’ve achieved, but for me, my greatest achievement is my children and my family.” —David Beckham
16. “The only way I can describe fatherhood is at the end of How the Grinch Stole Christmas, you know how his heart grows like five times? Everything is full; it’s just full all the time.” —Matt Damon
17. “Nothing ever fits the palm so perfectly, or feels so right, or inspires so much protective instinct as the hand of a child.” —Gregory David Roberts
18. “Fathering is not something perfect men do, but something that perfects the man.” —Frank Pittman
19. “Becoming a dad means you have to be a role model for your son and be someone he can look up to.” —Wayne Rooney
20. “Having a kid is like falling in love for the first time when you’re 12, but every day.” —Mike Myers
21. “Success, and even life itself, wouldn’t be worth anything if I didn’t have my children by my side. They mean everything to me.” —Jude Law
22. “Of all the titles I’ve been privileged to have, Dad has always been the best.” —Ken Norton
23. “It is not flesh and blood, but heart which makes us fathers and sons.” —Friedrich von Schiller
24. “Fatherhood has taught me about unconditional love, reinforced the importance of giving back and taught me how to be a better person.” —Naveen Jain
25. “It felt natural. That is what I remember most about becoming a father halfway through my 20s. As if Mother Nature was giving me the big thumbs up.” —Tony Parsons
26. “As fathers, we should have a desire to be active participants in our children’s lives.” ― Asa Don Brown

27. “Fatherhood is the best thing that could happen to me, and I’m just glad I can share my voice.” —Dwyane Wade
28. “Becoming a dad means you have to be a role model for your son and be someone he can look up to.” —Wayne Rooney
29. “A good father is one of the most unsung, unpraised, unnoticed, and yet one of the most valuable assets in our society.” —Billy Graham
30. “Becoming an actor is like becoming a father. It’s not hard to become one. Making a life of it is the challenge.” —Christoph Waltz
31. “A new dad: a man whose heart grows bigger with every tiny hand he holds.”
32. “I never thought I had to forge a family, but it felt the most natural thing that ever happened to me – meeting someone and becoming a father.” —Jude Law
33. “When one has not had a good father, one must create one.” —Friedrich Nietzche
34. “Any fool can have a child. That doesn’t make you a father. It’s the courage to raise a child that makes you a father.” —Barack Obama
35. “Tears of happiness rolled down my cheeks when I heard my new born son chirping like a bird.” —Unknown

Image: IStock

36. “The fame aspect of winning the Masters… besides being married and becoming a father, that’s a strong third there.” —Mike Weir
37. “He adopted a role called being a father so that his child would have something mythical and infinitely important: a protector.” —Tom Wolfe
38. “To me, becoming a father is like receiving a cute little friend from God as a wonderful gift. I aim to be the most successful at being a good father.”
39. “The quality of a father can be seen in the goals, dreams, and aspiration he sets not only for himself, but for his family.” —Reed Markham
40. “Becoming father of twin kids is just like winning  the lottery. I got one kid free. Thanks to the almighty lord.” —Unknown

Quick tip

Being a new dad comes with added responsibilities. Make sure to spend enough time with your wife and a newborn while managing everything at home.

41. “I pledge to become a great father to my new born kid. For me he’s everything from now onwards.” —Unknown
42. “I knew as I became a father, it would be a hard time managing work and taking care of the little one. But whatever be the circumstances, I will stick to being devoted and take the best care of my cutie.”—Unknown
43. “Finally, I have entered Fatherhood. It is the greatest thing that could ever happen. You can’t explain it until it happens.” —Unknown
44. “Becoming a father has definitely heightened my discomfort with uncertainty. I want to be able to say, I know what will happen, when, why. But most of the time, we just don’t know.” —Michael Adam Hamilton
45. “A good father is one of the most unsung, unpraised, unnoticed, and yet one of the most valuable assets in our society.” —Billy Graham
46. “Becoming father of a little angel gives me immense pleasure and happiness. She’s my precious and I am her savior.”—Unknown
47. “Every single day is like a new adventure with a newborn baby. There’s so much to learn from the little one.”—Unknown
48. “Becoming a father, I think it inevitably changes your perspective of life. I don’t get nearly enough sleep. And the simplest things in life are completely satisfying. I find you don’t have to do as much, like you don’t go on as many outings.” —Hugh Jackman

Image: Shutterstock

49. “The guys who fear becoming fathers don’t understand that fathering is not something perfect men do, but something that perfects the man. The end product of child-raising is not the child but the parent.” —Frank Pittman
50. “This is not to say that becoming a father automatically makes you a good father. Fatherhood, like marriage, is a constant struggle against your limitations and self-interests. But the urge to be a perfect father is there, because your child is a perfect gift.” —Kent Nerburn
51. “My biggest achievement – besides being drafted into the NBA – was becoming a father. Being a father has made me experience things that have contributed to my maturity and personal growth.” —Dwyane Wade
52. “Becoming a father made me a lot more sentimental than I ever was before. I never cried at movies before I became a parent. I feel music more intensely. I think of my political ideas as ideas about how I want to interact with other human beings as opposed to abstract theories about how the world should be.” —Boots Riley
53. “A father is always making his baby into a little woman. And when she is a woman, he turns her back again.”—Enid Bagnold
54. “It is not flesh and blood but the heart which makes us fathers and sons.“ —Johann Schiller
55. “Being a father helps me be more responsible. You see more things than you’ve ever seen.” —Kid Rock
56. “I cannot think of any need in childhood as strong as the need for a father’s protection.”—Sigmund Freud
57. “No one in this world can love a girl more than her father.” —Michael Ratnadeepak

Image: Shutterstock

58. “Fatherhood is pretending the present you love most is soap-on-a-rope.” —Bill Cosby
59. “Fathers are the first friend you make and the last love of your life.” —Unknown
60. “To a father growing old, nothing is dearer than a daughter. “—Euripides
61. “Until you have a son of your own, you will never know the joy, the love beyond feeling that resonates in the heart of a father as he looks upon his son.” —Kent Nerburn
62. “I would want my legacy to be that I was a great son, father, and friend.” —Dante Hall
63. “When a father gives to his son, both laugh; when a son gives to his father, both cry.”—William Shakespeare
64. “You don’t raise heroes, you raise sons. And if you treat them like sons, they’ll turn out to be heroes, even if it’s just in your own eyes.” —Walter M. Schirra, Sr.
65. “A loving and caring father who makes his presence felt in his children’s lives is priceless.” —Unknown
66. “Being a new daddy means being the child’s protector while unleashing the little child trapped inside you. Have fun with your child and don’t forget how fast time flies by. Spending time with your child now will help strengthen your relationship with them as they grow older.” —Unknown
67. “Being a new dad is the proudest moment for every man.” Unknown
68. “To me, having kids is the ultimate job in life. I want to be most successful at being a good father. “—Nick Lachey
69. “A father’s smile has been known to light up a child’s entire day.”– Susan Gale
70. “I hope I can be as good of a father to my son as my dad was to me.” —Calvin Johnson
71. “Even the best dads make mistakes. But there is no mistaking their love for their children.” —Unknown
72. “A father’s love is eternal and unconditional.”—Unknown
73. “A father is a man who expects his son to be as good a man as he meant to be.” —Frank A. Clark

Image: Shutterstock

74. “Being a first-time dad is an incredible feeling.” —Unknown
75. “I wouldn’t change my daughter for the world. But I wish I could change the world for my daughter.” —Unknown
76. “A father teaches his daughter how to love and be loved.” —Unknown
77. “There is no greater name for a leader than mother or father. There is no leadership more important than parenthood.” —Sheri L. Dew
78. “The heart of a father is the masterpiece of nature.” —Antoine François Prévost
79. “Becoming a dad is one thing—being a dad is many things.” —Steve Chapman
80. “There is nothing that moves a loving father’s soul quite like his child’s cry.” —Joni Eareckson Tada
81. “Anyone who tells you fatherhood is the greatest thing that can happen to you, they are understating it.” —Mike Myers
82. “Fatherhood is a great challenge but the most profound gift to every husband.” —Unknown
83. “A daughter adds a little sparkle to her father’s life.” —Unknown
84. “Daughters and dads share one heart.” —Unknown
85. “The joy in a little boy’s eyes shines in his father’s heart.” —Unknown
86. “A son is the clearest reflection of his father in the world.” —Unknown
87. “A father is a son’s forever hero .” —Unknown

Image: Shutterstock

88. “Becoming a father is a challenge to any man’s psyche, and there is a fundamental reorganization that you cannot avoid when you begin this journey. Sharing the journey with other dads makes a world of difference.” —Bruce Linton
89. “Ten toes, ten fingers, two eyes, two lips, and one nose. I can’t wait to meet each part of you! As your father, it is your heart I promise to cherish most.” —Unknown
90. “Nothing in life will make you as happy, as sad, as exhausted, or as incredibly proud as fatherhood.” —Unknown
91. “There is something magical about seeing the world through my child’s eyes.”

Funny Quotes For New Dads

Newborns are cute, and their adorable behavior can surprise and make you laugh at times.

92. “There should be a children’s song: ‘If you’re happy and you know it, keep it to yourself and let dad sleep.” —Jim Gaffigan
93. “Having children is like living in a frat house – nobody sleeps, everything’s broken, and there’s a lot of throwing up.” —Ray Romano
94. “Now I am a father of a kid, so I quit all the fun that I used to have earlier. It’s time to become serious about life and family.”—Unknown
95. “Raising kids is part joy and part guerilla warfare.” —Ed Asner
96. “Being a dad isn’t just about eating a huge bag of gummy bears as your wife gives birth. It means being comfortable with the word ‘hero.” —Ryan Reynolds
97. “Having one child makes you a parent. Having two kids makes you a referee.” —David Frost
98. “My little one makes me proud every moment.”—Unknown

Image: iStock

99. “Waited long to become a father, now waiting to hear my daughter say ‘World’s Best Dad’. I am being a sarcastic dad.”—Unknown
100. “If you’re not yelling at your kids, you aren’t spending enough time with them.” —Mark Ruffalo
101. “I rescind my early statement, ‘I could never fall in love with a girl who regularly poops her pants.’ I hadn’t met my daughter yet.” —Dax Shephard
102. “The worst part about being a parent is when one of your kids farts and you have to pretend it wasn’t cool.” —Rob Delaney
103. “When you got more than one kid, you just wake up angry.” —Kevin Hart
104. “Men should always change diapers. It’s mentally cleansing. It’s like washing dishes, but imagine if the dishes were your kids, so you really love the dishes.” —Chris Martin
105. “Feeling like a nanny on becoming a first-time daddy. It’s time to spend sleepless nights taking care of my little angel.”—Unknown
106. “I feel clueless when my newborn baby cries loud. He leaves me with several questions, is he crying for milk, to change diaper, play with him, or take him in arms and sing poems.”—Unknown
107. “Recently became a father and now it’s time for me to take babysitting classes. I wonder if there’s a PhD or Degree course for babysitters. Nonetheless, I’ll share my wisdom”—Unknown
108. “I think every kid thinks their dad is goofy. Even Johnny Depp’s kid must be like, “Oh my god, my dad with those freakin’ scarves. This isn’t a pirate ship; it’s a Costco, dad.” —Judd Apatow
109. “Kids are hilarious. They say the darndest things, but that’s just because they don’t know what they’re saying and that just makes much more funniness happen.” —Kenan Thompson
110. “The doctor asked about a name and I don’t know why I said it [but] I looked at the doctor and I said, ‘We’re going to call her Beyoncé.’ My wife did not think that was funny. Then a nurse went to the other side of the room and started filling out a form with the name Beyoncé and I had to go over to her and go, ‘Uh, excuse me, there is only one Beyoncé.” —James Cordon
111. “When your wife is pregnant and you’re expecting, everyone is like, ‘It’s incredible. Get ready, it’s magic. It’s the most life-changing experience you’ll ever have. Brace yourself for heaven.’ And then the second the baby comes everyone is like, ‘Welcome to hell.” —Andy Samberg
112. “I am happy to become a father of a cute boy, as he will soon be my playstation partner. Lot’s of action and adventure for me and the baby coming in the near future.”—Unknown

Image: Shutterstock

113. “The more boring a child is, the more the parents, when showing off the child, receive adulation for being good parents — because they have a tame child-creature in their house.” —Frank Zappa
114. “Standing outside the maternity ward gives goosebumps. But, as the doctor comes out and gives the good news, it’s so relaxing. Congratulations to every new daddy. Welcome to fatherhood!”—Unknown
115. “It’s true that you feel like dancing like a mad person on becoming a father for the first time. Now I am witnessing the same”—Unknown
116. “My daughter said, ‘Why are you yelling at us?’ and I said, ‘I’m trying to discipline you!’ And then she looked up at me with her tear-stained eyes and said, ‘This is how you teach children, by making them cry.’ And it was such a clenching reminder — she won not only the argument, but she won life with that statement. I just burst out laughing, and I think they were so surprised that I burst out laughing, that they did too.” —Stephen Colbert
117. “Dad: Spider-killing superhero.” —Unknown
118. “Dad jokes are how I keep from crying.” —Unknown
119. “Raising children is the only job where you work 24 hours a day and it actually costs you money.” —Unknown
120. “We wondered why when a child laughed, he belonged to Daddy, and when he had a sagging diaper that smelled like a landfill, ‘He wants his mother.‘” —Erma Bombeck
121. “You know what it’s like having a fourth kid? Imagine you’re drowning, then someone hands you a baby.” —Jim Gaffigan
122. “Being a dad is when you realize you can actually like people who puke in your car multiple times.” —Unknown

Image: Shutterstock

123. “I never knew true exhaustion until I became a dad. Now, I could fall asleep standing up… if my children would just stop hanging on my legs.” —Unknown
124. “Being a dad is like being a superhero, except instead of fighting crime, you’re fighting a never-ending pile of laundry.” —Unknown
125. “For the first two years, being a good dad is mostly about keeping your child from finding new and creative ways to hurt himself.” —Unknown
126. “Nothing is funnier than people without kids telling me how tired they are.” —Unknown
127. “I used to think I was in control of my life. Then I became a dad and realized my children are the ones running the show.” —Unknown
128. “A father carries pictures where his money used to be.” —Steve Martin
129. “I leveled up from husband to father.” —Unknown
130. “Being a dad means learning how changing a mountain of diapers can change your whole life.” —Unknown
131. “Raising kids may be a thankless job with ridiculous hours, but at least the pay sucks.” —Jim Gaffigan
132. “By the time a man realizes that maybe his father was right, he usually has a son who thinks he’s wrong.” —Charles Wadsworth
133. “Given the choice between a nap and anything else in the world, a new dad will always choose a nap.” —Unknown
134. “A good night’s sleep became a thing of dreams the moment I became a dad.” —Unknown
135. “Sometimes I am amazed that my wife and I created two human beings from scratch yet struggle to assemble the most basic of Ikea cabinets.” —John Kinnear
136. “The art of fatherhood requires two things: lots of coffee and even more patience.” —Unknown
137. “Naps never looked so good until I had kids.” —Unknown
138. “Fatherhood is great because you can ruin someone from scratch.” —Jon Stewart

Image: Shutterstock

139. “On our 6 a.m. walk, my daughter asked where the moon goes each morning. I let her know it’s in heaven visiting daddy’s freedom.” —Ryan Reynolds
140. “I used to have hobbies before I became a dad. Now, my hobbies include sneaking in a 5-minute shower and hiding in the bathroom for a few moments of peace.” —Unknown
141. “Good parenting means investing in your child’s future, which is why I am saving to buy mine a hoverboard someday.” —Lin Manuel Miranda
142. “A great dad isn’t perfect. But he gives perfect hugs.” —Unknown
143. “I just sit there and make up songs and sing to [my son] in gibberish. I’m very good at gibberish now.” —Elton John
144. “Before I got married, I had six theories about raising children; now, I have six children and no theories.” —John Wilmot
145. “The best fathers have the softest, sweetest hearts. In other words, great dads are real marshmallows.” —Richelle E. Goodrich
146. To be a successful father, there’s one absolute rule: when you have a kid, don’t look at it for the first two years. —Ernest Hemingway
147. You have to be adaptable because they consistently keep changing. They’ll do something that blows your mind and then they’ll spit all their food on the carpet. —Neil Patrick Harris
148. “Getting a burp out of your little thing when she needs it is probably the greatest satisfaction I’ve come across at this point in my life. It is truly one of life’s most satisfying moments.” —Brad Pitt

Image: Shutterstock

149. I’ve been to war. I’ve raised twins. If I had a choice, I’d rather go to war. —George W. Bush
150. “Whenever one of my children says, ‘Goodnight, Daddy,’ I always think to myself, ‘You don’t mean that.’” —Jim Gaffigan
151. “I used to think I knew what exhaustion felt like. Then I became a dad and realized that exhaustion is just a state of being.” —Unknown
152. “Remember: What dad really wants is a nap. Really.” —Dave Barry
153. “Having a 2-year-old is like having a blender without a lid.” —Jerry Seinfeld
154. “Being a dad is like being a superhero, but with a lot less spandex and a lot more poop.” —Unknown

Advice For First-Time Dads

Being a father for the first time can throw you into a whirlpool of emotions. You may find it difficult to decide what you should do. But with the right approach, it can be a deeply rewarding and joyful experience. Here are some tips that can help you embark on the journey of fatherhood with ease.

• Be present for your wife and the baby
• Get involved in fatherly duties for taking care of the baby
• Support the mother
• Be patient
• Maintain a balance between work and family
• Express and communicate properly
• Seek help from experienced fathers
• Don’t forget self-care
• Cherish and embrace all the moments

Illustration: Best New Dad Quotes

Image: Stable Diffusion/MomJunction Design Team

Frequently Asked Questions

Though a couple bears a child in a married relationship, a father in his best capacity fulfills the family requirements, both primary and extraordinary. These “becoming a father for the first time quotes” indicate all the challenges a father may face through the initial years. However, he only chooses to become a father when he can handle such a warm and selfless relationship with his child. Such a fatherly relationship is beautiful. It’s a life-changing, miraculous emotion that is unmatched and beyond words. Parenthood is a life-long experience that can never be justified whenever expressed.

Infographic: Quotes On Fathers From Well-Known Authors

Being a father is happiness inexplicable in words. Still, you may celebrate this extraordinary feeling by sharing these meaningful and lovable quotes on fathers, as documented by some well-known authors from the 1900s. Here are a few quotes to appreciate the fantastic father-child bond in this infographic.

Illustration: Momjunction Design Team

A compilation of 19 emotional father quotes to make you feel inspired and connected to your dad. A must-watch for all fathers and sons!

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Reviewer Author Editor

Ronald HoangDiploma in Counselling, Relationship & Family Counselor

Ronald Hoang is a Sydney-based clinical counselor and psychotherapist with around ten years of experience. He holds a bachelor's degree in psychology from Macquarie University and a postgraduate degree in counseling from the Australian College of Applied Professions.

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Shivank JoshiBA (Mass Communication)

Shivank is an experienced professional with a passion for writing, editing, and research. With a bachelor’s degree in Mass Communication from IEL, Dehradun, he previously worked as a production editor. Shivank transitioned into a writer/editor, contributing to various publications as a freelancer.

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Akshay NairMA

Akshay is an associate editor and former journalist with more than four years of experience. A post graduate in Mass Communication and Journalism, he has strong professional and academic background in the field of content writing and editing.

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