My grandfather taught me when I was young and I'm making sure my sons know how to do it right. Firm grip, look them in the eye, and mean it. Had them practice with me and then we did it with my neighbor. Mr. Johnson told me they were the most respectful young men he's met. That's the kind of reputat...
Something my dad taught me that I'm passing on: you should always be dressed nice enough that you wouldn't be embarrassed to run into someone important. Not talking about a suit every day, but clean clothes that fit, shoes that are maintained, grooming that shows you respect yourself. My boys see me...
Have a good job, good family, but I'm so lonely it's painful. Don't really have friends or anyone I can talk to. Work is just work. Wife is great but she can't be my only connection to another human. Evenings after the kids are in bed I just scroll for hours because the silence is too much. Thinking...
Not even exaggerating. Every moment he's not in school he wants videos. Educational videos, silly videos, doesn't matter. We thought an hour limit was reasonable but he cries like his world is ending when it ends. Meanwhile his younger sister is picking up the same habit. I'm worried about his devel...
She was doing the whole dramatic sighing thing about dinner being 'boring' so I told her 'Well good news, tomorrow you can have cereal for dinner and I'll tell you it's Fruity Pebbles surprise casserole.' She absolutely lost it. These are the moments I live for.
Been having my sons practice their handshakes and it sounds weird but it matters. Firm grip, eye contact, say your name clearly. My oldest is starting to interview for summer jobs and I want him to show up as a man who respects himself and others. The little things add up. Noticed my 8 year old prac...
Asking for a friend who tried to change a blowout while holding his baby's hand off to the side. There has to be some technique I'm missing because I felt like I had no arms. Three pee diapers today with no cleanup issues but the second I relax it happens.
Planning our first real camping trip for next month and I'm nervous I'm gonna mess it up. We're going to a state park about 2 hours away for 3 nights. Got a tent, sleeping bags, cooler, all that. But what am I forgetting? My wife keeps saying I need to think about food prep but I figured we'd just b...
Director role opened up. Would've been a 15% raise. They needed someone willing to travel quarterly and work 50+ hour weeks. I turned it down because my oldest has soccer 3x a week and I'm the parent who gets him there. My wife has her own career. But now I'm wondering if I just tanked my long-term ...
So my 9yo asked me yesterday why we believe in God and what makes Christianity different from other religions. Instead of giving her a thoughtful answer I just said because that's what we believe as a family. She's smart though and I could tell she wasn't satisfied. Made me realize I need to be able...
He literally wants to play it every second he's not at school. I let him have like an hour a day but he acts like I'm torturing him when I tell him it's time to stop. Is this normal or am I doing something wrong? How do other parents handle screen time?
Had my first real therapy session this week after months of thinking about it. Been dealing with depression off and on for probably 5+ years and just kept telling myself I could handle it on my own. Turns out I couldn't. The therapist seems great and we started working through some stuff about my ch...
It's getting harder to instill the values my father taught me when society keeps telling young men that strength and responsibility are outdated. I'm trying to teach my boy to be respectful, hardworking, and to stand up for what's right even when nobody else will. A firm handshake, looking people in...
So I decided we'd build a treehouse in the oak tree in our backyard. Bought some lumber Friday after work, spent Saturday morning planning it out with the boys. Sunday we got started and man, nothing goes according to plan when you're 15 feet up with two kids who can't agree on which board goes wher...
My 3 year old wants to do a 'real hike' so we're planning a beginner trail nearby. I'm bringing way too much stuff in my backpack probably. Snacks, water, extra clothes, first aid kit, sunscreen. Any other dads done this? Is a carrier pack worth it or should I just let him walk the whole way?