*Administration of Barack Obama, 2013 *

**The President's Weekly Address **

*June 15, 2013 *

Hi, everybody. This Sunday is Father's Day, and so I wanted to take a moment to talk about the most important job many of us will ever have, and that's being a dad.

Today, we're blessed to live in a world where technology allows us to connect instantly with just about anyone on the planet. But no matter how advanced we get, there will never be a substitute for the love and support and, most importantly, the presence of a parent in a child's life. And in many ways, that's uniquely true for fathers.

I never really knew my own father. I was raised by a single mom and two wonderful grandparents who made incredible sacrifices for me. And there are single parents, like my mom, all across the country, who do a heroic job raising terrific kids. But I still wish I had a dad who was not only around, but involved; another role model to teach me what my mom did her best to instill—values like hard work and integrity, responsibility, delayed gratification—all of the things that give a child the foundation to envision a brighter future for themselves.

That's why I try, every day, to be for Michelle and my girls what my father was not for my mother and me. And I've met plenty of other people—dads and uncles and men without a family connection—who are trying to break the cycle and give more of our young people a strong male role model.

Being a good parent—whether you're gay or straight, a foster parent or a grandparent—isn't easy. It demands your constant attention, frequent sacrifice, and of course, a healthy dose of patience. And nobody's perfect. To this day, I'm still trying to figure out how to be a better husband to my wife and a better father to my kids.

And I want to do what I can as President, to encourage strong marriage and strong families. We should reform our child support laws to get more men working and engaged with their children. And my administration will continue to work with the faith and other community organizations, as well as businesses, on a campaign to encourage strong parenting and fatherhood.

Because if there's one thing I've learned along the way, it's that all our personal successes shine a little less brightly if we fail at family. That's what matters most. When I look back on my life, I won't be thinking about any particular legislation I passed or policy I promoted. I'll be thinking about Michelle and the journey we've been on together. I'll be thinking about Sasha's dance recitals and Malia's tennis matches; about the conversations we've had and the quiet moments we've shared. I'll be thinking about whether I did right by them and whether they knew, every day, just how much they were loved.

That's what I think about when I think about fatherhood. And if we can do our best to be a source of comfort and encouragement to our kids, if we can show them unconditional love and help them grow into the people they were meant to be, then we will have succeeded.

So happy Father's Day to all the dads out there, and have a great weekend.

NOTE: The address was recorded at approximately 5:50 p.m. on June 14 in the Roosevelt Room at the White House for broadcast on June 15. The transcript was made available by the Office of the Press Secretary on June 14, but was embargoed for release until 6 a.m. on June 15.

*Categories:* Addresses and Remarks : Weekly addresses*.*

*Locations: *Washington, DC.* *

*Names:* Obama, Malia; Obama, Michelle; Obama, Natasha "Sasha"*.*

*Subjects:* Children and youth : Fathers, influence; Children and youth : Parenthood, social importance; Holidays and special observances : Father's Day.

*DCPD Number:* DCPD201300423.