120+ Touching Step Dad Quotes to Show Love and Appreciation

Stepparents do not always have a great reputation in stories. However, for countless real-life households, the addition of “bonus parents” is an incredible blessing. Many stepfathers, for example, provide a fresh outlook, a strong example of integrity, and selfless love. These 120 stepdad quotes are sure to resonate with blended families!

When families face difficult circumstances such as loss or divorce, it may feel like normal day-to-day dynamics (as well as the larger concept of a familiar family unit) have been shattered to pieces. However, there are still opportunities for beauty and joy to follow. And down the road, if a parent falls in love once again, certain challenges may arise from the introduction of a stepfather, but there are also many valuable and unifying results as well.

Stepfathers have a chance to ease into relationships with their stepchildren in very intentional ways. While it may be tricky to find a balance where they are able to exhibit leadership and supportive parenting without overstepping into a role that someone else held or continues to hold, there is an element of willingness to enter into this responsibility that demonstrates a lot of deep love, loyalty and thoughtfulness. Not only are these bonus fathers usually aware of what they are “signing up for,” they are likely thrilled to have the opportunity to become an official part of the squad.

With much consideration, sensitivity, and patience, stepdads are able to positively influence the family and bring their own unique perspectives and experiences to the already-established household. Thanks to their added warmth in the home and their dedication to being optimistic, effective role models, virtuous stepfathers loom large in the lives of their stepchildren.

Let’s hear it for the men who have truly stepped up in their new fatherly roles! Enjoy these 120 stepdad quotes that celebrate the bonus dads who are definitely making a difference.

Read Also: 120+ Funny Father’s Day Quotes Guaranteed to Make Dad Laugh

120 Best Stepdad Quotes to Express Appreciation on His Special Day

“Anyone can be a father, but it takes someone special to be a dad.” – Wade Boggs

“The power of a dad in a child’s life is unmatched.” – Justin Ricklefs

“Behind every young child who believes in himself is a parent who believed first.” – Matthew L. Jacobson

“The heart of a father is the masterpiece of nature.” – Antoine-Francois Prevost

“There is no such thing as a broken family. Family is family and is not determined by marriage certificates, divorce papers and adoption documents. Families are made in the heart.” – C. Joybell C.

“Lookin’ back, all I can say about all the things he did for me, is I hope I’m at least half the dad that he didn’t have to be.” – Brad Paisley

“Family is not an important thing. It’s everything.” – Michael J. Fox

“I got my love of jazz from my stepfather, who was a jazz musician.” – Flea

“Any man can be a father but it takes someone special to be a dad.” – Anne Geddes

“It doesn’t matter who my father was; it matters who I remember he was.” – Anne Sexton

“He never treated me like I was a package deal. I wasn’t a burden in his eyes, I was a bonus.” – Ashley Stock

“When my dad passed away, I felt depressed and miserable. But then another angel came in my life. He gave me all his love, care and affection. He never asked me to forget my dad, but he helped to get me through his memories. No, he’s not my boyfriend. He’s my stepdad.” – Ruhforsoul

“The bond that links your true family is not one of blood, but of respect and joy in each other’s life.” – Richard Bach

“Families are the compass that guides us. They are the inspiration to reach great heights, and our comfort when we occasionally falter.” – Brad Henry

“Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success.” – Henry Ford

“Being a parent wasn’t just about bearing a child. It was about bearing witness to its life.” – Jodi Picoult, “Handle with Care”

“We do not need to know the beginning of a child’s story to change the ending.” – Fi Newood

“The circumstances surrounding your birth are not as important as the opportunity to live life.” – Lailah Gifty Akita, “Think Great, Be Great!”

“The bond that links your true family is not one of blood, but of respect and joy in each other’s life.” – Richard Bach, “Illusions: The Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah”

“Belonging to a family is a natural and vital component of life, and every child deserves to be a member of a loving and nurturing family.” – Ronald Reagan

“All that we love deeply becomes a part of us.” – Helen Keller

“One of the greatest titles in the world is parent, and one of the biggest blessings in the world is to be one.” – Jim DeMint

“Love runs stronger than blood. Deeper than any name you could give me.” – Andrew Peterson, “The Warden and the Wolf King”

“Anyone who ever wondered how much they could love a child who did not spring from their own loins, know this: It is the same. The feeling of love is so profound, it’s incredible and surprising.” – Nia Vardalos, “Instant Mom”

“Whether your children are yours through biology or adoption, they are yours through love.” – Sadia Rebecca Rodriguez

“We should not be asking who this child belongs to, but who belongs to this child.” – James L. Gritter

“Stepparents are not around to replace a biological parents, rather to augment a child’s experience.” – Azriel Johnson

“Families don’t have to match. You don’t have to look like someone else to love them.” – Leigh Anne Touhy

“Children begin by loving their parents; as they grow older they judge them; sometimes they forgive them.” – Oscar Wilde, “The Picture of Dorian Gray”

“The golden rule of parenting is do unto your children as you wish your parents had done unto you.” – Louise Hart

“Parenting is a lifetime job and does not stop when a child grows up.” – Jake Slope

“Parenthood … It’s about guiding the next generation, and forgiving the last.” – Peter Krause

“If we are wonderful parents and family members, then there’s really nothing else to prove.” – Ron Baratono

“My father didn’t tell me how to live; he lived, and let me watch him do it.” – Clarence Budington Kelland

“You can learn many things from children. How much patience you have, for instance.” – Franklin P. Jones

“Each day of our lives, we make deposits in the memory banks of our children.” – Charles R. Swindoll

“At the end of the day, the most overwhelming key to a child’s success is the positive involvement of parents.” – Jane D. Hull

“I cannot think of any need in childhood as strong as the need for a father’s protection.”  – Sigmund Freud

“Children are educated by what the grownup is and not by his talk.” – Carl Jung

“Nothing you do for children is ever wasted. They seem not to notice us, hovering, averting our eyes, and they seldom offer thanks, but what we do for them is never wasted.” – Garrison Keillor

“Being a father, being a friend, those are the things that make me feel successful.” – William Hurt

“It is much easier to become a father than to be one.” – Kent Nerburn

“My dad always said, ‘Don’t worry what people think because you can’t change it.'” – Daisy Donovan

“I hope I am remembered by my children as a good father.” –  Orson Scott Card

“To a father growing old nothing is dearer than a daughter.” – Euripides

“My father said there were two kinds of people in the world: givers and takers. The takers may eat better, but the givers sleep better.” – Marlo Thomas

“My father used to say that it’s never too late to do anything you wanted to do. And he said, ‘You never know what you can accomplish until you try.’” – Michael Jordan

“In my life, I’m just looking for that life of integrity that my father had. I have a good heart; I’m not a heartbreaker.” – Johnathon Schaech

“My father always said, ‘Never trust anyone whose TV is bigger than their bookshelf.’” – Emilia Clarke

“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, “Victor Hugo’s Intellectual Autobiography”

“My father was my teacher. But most importantly he was a great dad.” – Beau Bridges

“Step-parenting and being a step-sibling presents a lot of exciting opportunities. When families break up and re-form, there may be less order, less certainty, and a bit more trauma involved, but kids can end up having half-a-dozen parent figures.” – Morris Gleitzman

“My stepdad is probably the greatest man I’ve ever known.” – Justin Timberlake

“A great stepdad embraces the opportunity to be a positive presence in his stepchildren’s lives.” – Steve Maraboli, Life, the Truth, and Being Free (2010)

“My Stepdad may not have given me life, but he sure has made my life better.” – Gerardo Campbell

“To the man that raised me as his own, gave me everything he could to have a wonderful childhood.. I love you.” – Demi Lovato

“Fatherhood requires love, not DNA.” – Unknown

“A good step-dad will observe boundaries. He’ll know when to step in to support and comfort your children and when to take a step back and let the biological father in.” – Neil Reilly

“It takes a strong man to accept somebody else’s children and step up to the plate another man left on the table.” – Ray Johnson

“Anyone can be a father, but it takes someone special to be a dad, and that’s why I call you dad, because you are so special to me. You taught me the game and you taught me how to play it right.” – Wade Boggs

“He adopted a role called being a father so that his child would have something mythical and infinitely important: a protector.” – Tom Wolfe

“Step-parenting is like working at a late – night convenience store…all of the responsibility and none of the authority.” – Valerie J. Lewis Coleman

“A Dad is one who is always there can always be counted on always has time, always encouraging, that is you Dad.” – C. Lynch

“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.” – Bruce Linton

“Family isn’t defined only by last names or by blood; it’s defined by commitment and by love.” – Dave Willis

“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

“Looking’ back all I can say about all the things he did for me is, I hope I’m at least half the dad that he didn’t have to be.” – Brad Paisley.

“Stepparents are not around to replace a biological parent, rather augment a child’s life experience.” – Azriel Johnson.

“It is not flesh and blood but the heart which makes us fathers and sons”. – Johann Schiller.

“He never treated me like I was a package deal – something or someone he would have to accept if he wanted my mom in his life. I wasn’t a burden in his eyes, I was a bonus.” – Ashley Stock.

“Fatherhood requires love, not DNA”. – Unknown.

“We aren’t ‘step, we aren’t ‘half, we’re just family.” Unknown.

“My mom is my heart. But my stepdad was my role model, the hardest working man I ever knew.” – Brian Urlacher

“Having kids does not make you a father. Raising them does.” – Unknown.

“No man stands taller than when he stoops to help a child.” – Abraham Lincoln.

“Any man can be a father but it takes someone special to be a dad” – Anne Geddes.

“When someone takes you on as their own when you’re not biologically their own, I think is really special … [My stepdad] didn’t have to raise me. Like, he wanted to.” – Jonathan Van Ness.

“It does not matter who my father was. It matters who I remember he was” – Anne Sexton.

“If you are a stepparent, rush right out and get yourself a dog. Because it’s very nice to have someone in the house that loves you.” – Delia Ephron

“A Step Father means so many things… an understanding heart, a source of strength and of support, right from the very start.” – Unknown.

“A step-parent doesn’t just marry a spouse: they marry their spouse’s entire situation. They have to find a balance between supporting and defending without overstepping visible and invisible boundaries.” Unknown.

“A good stepparent can literally turn the life of a child around.” – Unknown.

“Family isn’t defined only by last names or by blood; it’s defined by commitment and by love.” – Dave Willis.

“Any man can help make a child, but it takes a special man to help raise a child.” – Tony Gaskin.

“The first step toward change is awareness. The second step is acceptance.” – Nathaniel Branden.

“Stepparents are not around to replace a biological parent, rather to augment a child’s life experience.” – Azriel Johnson

“Lookin’ back all I can say about all the things he did for me is I hope I’m at least half the dad that he didn’t have to be.” – Brad Paisley

“Step-parenting and being a stepsibling presents a lot of exciting opportunities. When families break up and re-form, there may be less order, less certainty, and a bit more trauma involved, but kids can end up having half-a-dozen parent figures.” – Morris Gleitzman

“When someone takes you on as their own when you’re not biologically their own, I think is really special… [My stepdad] didn’t have to raise me. He wanted to.” – Jonathan Van Ness

“Remember you are not managing an inconvenience. You are raising a human being.” – Kittie Frantz

“I never had that wicked stepmother or evil stepfather thing at all. I’m very close to both step-parents and I consider them to be my parents, too.” – Mark Ronson

“He was the purest example of how to love and live life fully.” – Lauren Alaina

“Any man can help make a child, but it takes a special man to help raise a child.” – Tony Gaskins

“When it feels as if you can’t do right by the other parent, do right by your step-child instead. You’ll never fail with their best interest at heart.” – Jessica James

“The power of a dad in a child’s life is unmatched.” – Justin Ricklefs

“I have a stepfather in my life who’s one of my heroes. I love my stepfather and I look up to him and he’s like a father to me, so I have a good inspiration in my life for how to do this and the kind of stepdad I want to be. And I take it very serious.” – Blake Shelton

“At the end of the day, the most overwhelming key to a child’s success is the positive involvement of the parents.” – Jane D. Hull

“Families don’t have to match. You don’t have to look like someone else to love them.” – Leigh Anne Tuohy

“The heart of a father is the masterpiece of nature.” – Antoine-François Prévost

“When you find a guy who is powerful, a big father figure, you latch onto him immediately.” – Gordon Ramsay

“Family isn’t blood. It’s the people who love you. The people who have your back.” – Cassandra Clare

“I want to congratulate all the men out there who are working diligently to be good fathers, whether they are stepfathers, or biological fathers, or just spiritual fathers.” – T.D. Jakes

“There will always be steps you can take toward unity in your blended family.” – Donna Houpe

“I also believe that parents, if they love you, will hold you up safely, above their swirling waters, and sometimes that means you’ll never know what they endured, and you may treat them unkindly, in a way you otherwise wouldn’t.” – Mitch Albom

“My family was my guide to my reality.” – Haywood Nelson

“Family isn’t something that’s supposed to be static, or set. It’s always evolving, turning into something else.” – Sarah Dessen

“It’s not flesh and blood but the heart that makes us father and son.” – Johann Schiller

“Don’t worry that children never listen to you; worry that they are always watching you.” – Robert Fulghum

“Each child is an adventure into a better life – an opportunity to change the old pattern and make it new.” – Hubert H. Humphrey

“Who cares if another woman or man loves your child, plays with your child, or builds a healthy relationship with your child-either way your child is benefiting.” – Jessica James

“You must remember, family is often born of blood, but it doesn’t depend on blood. Nor is it exclusive of friendship. Family members can be your best friends, you know. And best friends, whether or not they are related to you, can be your family.” – Trenton Lee Stewart

“I don’t know if it’s as hard or harder or not as hard as being an actual, biological parent, you know?” – Blake Shelton

“Step-parenting is like working at a late-night convenience store…all of the responsibility and none of the authority.” – Valerie J. Lewis Coleman

“To us, family means putting your arms around each other and being there.” – Barbara Bush

“Becoming a blended family means mixing, mingling, scrambling, and sometimes muddling our way through delicate family issues, complicated relationships, and individual differences, hurts, and fears. But through it all, we are learning to love like a family.” – Tom Frydenger

“Stepfathers are no less than those of blood: The spirit is more comely than the flesh. Fathers are defined by how they love and not by how they multiply or breed.” – Anonymous.

“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.

“Families don’t have to match. You don’t have to look like someone else to love them.” – Leigh Anne Tuohy.

“Stepparenting is like working at a late-night convenience store… all of the responsibility and none of the authority.” – Valerie J. Lewis Coleman.

“My mom is my heart. But my stepdad was my role model, the hardest working man I ever knew.” – Brian Urlacher.

“The power of a dad in a child’s life is unmatched.” – Justin Ricklefs.

“Behind every young child who believes in himself is a parent who believed first.” – Matthew L. Jacobson.

“For better or worse, step-parenting is self-conscious parenting. You’re damned if you do, and damned if you don’t.” – Unknown.

“A dad is someone who wants to catch you before you fall but instead picks you up, brushes you off, and lets you try again.” – Unknown.

“Being a stepparent is a rough job. But going to bed every night knowing that you are loved by kids who aren’t biologically yours is a great feeling.” – Unknown.

“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.” – Bruce Linton.

Conclusion

When you wrap this heartwarming compilation it’s clear that step dad quotes include everything from dad quotes with bonus features that celebrate the joy of a larger family to steps dads appreciation messages recognizing the power in a parent figure as well as step fathers’ day quotes that celebrate his roleare profoundly meaningful. These words express the appreciation and affection that children are able to feel for their stepfathers by recognizing the valuable contribution they have made in their own lives.