The Subtle Art of the Dad Text

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For all lucky enough to have a dad, be a dad, or know a dad, here’s a NYT piece I think you’ll enjoy.

Gift link:
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2025/06/13/well/family/dad-jokes-texts-fathers-day.html?unlocked_article_code=1.PE8.wBo9.xOaG9IO_jaWx&smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare

The dad text can be a beautiful thing. Sometimes, it’s a barely decipherable jumble of emojis and punctuation that makes you scratch your head and smile. Other times, it’s a nugget of advice or a few words of support, right when you need them most.

In honor of Father’s Day, The Times asked readers to submit their most cherished dad texts. More than 900 of you wrote in sharing your fathers’ corny jokes, goofy photos and expressions of unconditional love.

Here are some of our favorite submissions, which have been lightly edited for clarity.

Excerpts:

“Hey Dad, you around?
DAD
Yes, but some insist I am a square.”


“DAD

Bad cats
Played poker all night and stole treats
We caught Willow cheating with an ace under his paw



I dropped my cats off at my parents’ house to cat-sit while I was on vacation. My dad would stage scenes of the cats like this one of them gambling for cat treats.

ELIZABETH YARDLEY, 28 PHILADELPHIA”

— more at gift link at top of this post, many hilarious, some poignant, and a few groaners. Enjoy.

[rsdsharp]

1. The one with the cats brought back a memory.

In the mid 90s I recorded a message for our answering machine. It was something like

“Hello. We can’t come to the phone right now, and Dusty was calling his sister at college too often, so we revoked his phone privileges. Please leave a message at the tone.”

A few weeks later we got a call from a collection agency asking for Dusty Sharp. I asked if they were kidding, and they got snotty, telling me they knew he lived there because they had heard the answering machine message. I had a hell of a time convincing them that Dusty was the family dog, and that the message was a joke.

They didn’t sue, but I think Dusty’s FICO score took a hit.

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2. Bwah, too funny!

I used to subscribe to magazines in the cat's name, so I could instantly identify junk mail. It was a hoot when she started getting credit card offers!

[rsdsharp]

3. Don't let her sign up! They have no impulse control,

and then HER Fico score will take a hit.

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5. "Honey, did you order 30 cases of canned tuna?" (nt)

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4. I really enjoyed those....Thanks!!

nt.

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6. YW, me too. (nt)