Life

How To Tell If Your Dad Is A Cool Dad

by Chrissa Hardy

Not every dad is a regular dad — some dads are cool dads. How do you know if your dad is cool? Well, there are some pretty telling signs. If you're lucky enough to have a cool dad, you're probably pretty cool yourself since it's genetic (#science). Having a cool dad is a major blessing, because those who are considered cool never try to achieve such a label — they are just naturally cool, because they enjoy having fun, and they give zero f***s about how they look while having said fun. So growing up with a father who wants you to be happy and healthy and just embrace the person you are is a wonderful, beautiful, cool thing.

Since Father's Day is coming up, we all need to take a little time celebrating the dudes who encouraged us and loved us and turned us into the awesome adult weirdos we've become. Anything cool that we have inside us, we have our dads to thank for that (and obviously our moms too). If you're not sure if you have a cool dad or a regular dad, here are a few tell-tale signs that your dad is insanely rad.

And Happy Father's Day to dads everywhere!

1. He is a master of both current and classic nerdy references

He can naturally go from a Star Wars quote to a Hunger Games reference without skipping a beat. He can articulately compare every Batman in existence before stating why Michael Keaton was undoubtedly the best.

2. He doesn't care what others think of him

If your dad knows how to have fun without giving a second thought to any judging eyes around him, congrats — you have a cool dad! There's absolutely nothing cooler than being content and comfortable in your own skin.

3. He's a feminist

He understands and supports the need for gender equality in this world. He acknowledges how ridiculous it is when morons question whether or not women can be funny. He just gets it.

4. He supports whatever interests you have

From knitting to magic to break dancing, if you're pouring your heart and soul into it, he'll cheer you on while beaming with pride.

5. He's protective, but he trusts your judgment

Nobody will be good enough for you in his mind. But he does want you to find someone to love for the rest of your days. So he'll tell you if he's not a fan of the person you're dating, but he'll also give you the space to fall madly in love, no matter the risks involved.

6. He's most proud of you when you're strong and independent

He wants you to be able to stand on your own and to persevere when times get tough. As much as he wants to shield you from any and all possible threats, he knows that you'll get burned in love and life. He also knows that because he raised you to be tough and intelligent, he's most impressed when you do just that.

P.S. My dad has a vast collection of comic book figurines, always wanted me to watch movies with strong female leads so I understood that women can do absolutely anything men can do, and likes to pretend he's a pirate in search of treasure on the high seas. Yes, my dad is the coolest. But I bet yours is too.

Image: ABC; Giphy (6)