Jim Gaffigan Shares Why Raising 5 Kids Can Be 'Terrifying': 'Wonderful and Really Hard'

Jim Gaffigan is giving a glimpse into life as a dad of five.

The comedian, 56, and wife Jeannie are parents to five children, Marre, 18, Jack, 16, Katie, 13, Michael 11, and Patrick, 10, a job that Gaffigan told Today can be "terrifying."

"It's wonderful and really, really hard," he shared. "What no one tells you is that when they get older, it gets so much harder. It's just a different type of hard."

The Linoleum star noted that one of the most "frustrating" things as a parent is "being able to communicate some of the things that I might have learned in a way where they might hear it."

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The best part of parenting, however, Gaffigan said, is watching his kids find their passions.

"I know that it sounds corny, but as an adult you recognize how valuable it is to have something to be passionate about, to pour your energy into," Gaffigan shared. "That's the guaranteed layup for me, knowing that they have a passion so they're not going to be lost."

Speaking to PEOPLE in April, the comedian said while he's been a parent for nearly two decades, his kids still "constantly surprise" him, adding that they often "surprise me in different ways."

In fact, Gaffigan said he is "constantly surprised" by how funny his son Jack is. He even suggested that the 16-year-old "truly is one of the funniest people" he knows.

"I've lived with him for 16 years. I've seen him be funny, consistently quickly. He doesn't struggle with it," Gaffigan said of his son.

Meanwhile, Gaffigan described his daughter Katie as "a true rebel," and said son Michael is "way more athletic than anyone in our family."