Dads often go through fatherhood under appreciated. Traditionally, dads are the working parents who provide for the family and come home exhausted to kids who crave their undivided attention. But in an age where the duties between fathers and mothers are very blurred, dads still seem to get the shaft.

I honestly feel really bad for dads these days.

Our society is in a constant transition, where more mothers are heads of household and the role of fathers is not unique to men.

Nonetheless, fathers play a very important role in a child’s life – whether the child acknowledges it or not.

What we learn from our fathers, we can’t possibly learn from our mothers.

You know it’s true.

My dad was is a United States Marine, just like his father was is. My dad also worked as a salesmen for most of my childhood. Needless to say, most of the life lesson catch phrases my dad used on me were military and business related.

I remember rolling my eyes a lot at my dad. Then, when I got smart, I rolled my eyes after he left the room.

But the weird thing is, all that stuff my dad taught me when I was a small kid – that stuff I rolled my eyes at – is the same stuff I recite to myself on a daily basis as an adult.

Dads are full of wisdom that we overlook and take for granted. It’s a damn good thing they tell us the same stuff over and over and over; otherwise, we may never really learn it.

To all the dads out there, keep telling your kids stuff they don’t want to hear. They don’t realize it now, but they’ll need it all later.

And when they realize you taught them everything they need to know in life, even if you’re no longer around, they’ll be grateful.

(My dad is alive by the way. And he’s still telling me the same stuff over and over and over…

…thank goodness.)