Father's Day Is Over, So, Have We Decided On The Real #1 Dad Yet?

Every Father’s Day, mugs declaring “#1 Dads” are handed out willy nilly. With the holiday behind us for another year, we asked our members if we’re any closer to figuring out who truly deserves the crown.

We've all been there.

You're writing a Father’s Day card, you've written about how much you love him, how much you appreciate him, and to top it all off, you say that he is the best dad ever.

I mean… come on, obviously it's true.

To every child, their dad is the best, so perhaps we should leave them out of the equation and look at some other pretty great fathers.

Perhaps the greatest father in the world is William Jackson Smart, a father so beloved that one of his six children decided dads like him all deserve a nationwide holiday (hence: “Father’s Day”)? Then again, he spent a lot of time away from home during the Civil War so perhaps he isn't the greatest dad, but simply a dad who is pretty great?

Or maybe it's Charlemagne? The first ruler of the Holy Roman Empire not only forgave his son – for attempting to murder him - but is also known as the 'Father of Europe'. However, many would say that Charlemagne over-indulged his children, doting on them and never getting angry, causing them to be reckless.

So, who else could it be? Should we take a second look Darth Vader? Whilst many would claim he is all bad - you know, for killing so many people - should we consider the fact he (erm, spoilers) literally died for his son? Or does the fact that he neglected said son for his entire life – and blew up a planet - cancel out any good done?

What about Barack Obama? The guy who wrote a book addressed to his daughters (Of Thee I Sing) which mixes praise and encouragement for the girls with mini-biographies of American role models such as Helen Keller and Georgia O'Keeffe? Sounds like a pretty fatherly and kind sentiment to me...

I suppose we are never really going to be able to decide who the “greatest” dad in history is, truly. Every father out there has different parenting techniques, and whilst you may think that some are better than others, how can we ever really know? We can't. Without fathers, where would we be in the world? We simply wouldn't exist.

Congratulations to Vanessa for winning this writing challenge, answering: Who Is The Greatest Dad In History? Vanessa wins a $50 Westfield gift card and a GoPro Hero for her submission. For your chance to win, check out our latest writing challenges in our Comps section. Also, be sure to follow this guide on how to win the writing challenge!