President Dad

He might make the presidency look easy, but President Barack Obama says being a daddy is tough business — and he is far from the perfect father.

President Obama fessed up to his paternal shortcomings in this weekend’s Parade magazine, sharing a personal essay describing his regrets as a father and urging all dads to rededicate themselves to their children this Father’s Day, June 21.

“I know I have been an imperfect father,” he shares. “I know I have made mistakes. I have lost count of all the times, over the years, when the demands of work have taken me from the duties of fatherhood. There were many days out on the campaign trail when I felt like my family was a million miles away, and I knew I was missing moments of my daughters’ lives that I’d never get back. It is a loss I will never fully accept.”

The president also knows a thing or two about parental abandonment. Little Barack was only 2 when his father left home, and while his mother and grandparents did their best to fill the void, he has said the weight of his absence left a hole that could never quite be filled.

In his letter Obama reminds all dads to take an active role in their children’s lives. “Too often, especially during tough economic times like these, we are emotionally absent: distracted, consumed by what’s happening in our own lives, worried about keeping our jobs and paying our bills, unsure if we’ll be able to give our kids the same opportunities we had.”

So stop worrying and gives your kids a hug. They just might hug you back.