Just built a firepit ring with my 6 and 9 year old using some pavers and landscape fabric underneath. We're planning to do s'mores this weekend but I'm paranoid about safety. Have a small sandbox about 8 feet away, no overhanging branches directly above. Is there anything else I should be thinking a...
Had it hit me today. I was driving to work and this song came on, and I just thought about how my daughter is at home right now and I'm responsible for keeping her alive and not traumatizing her. Like it's not just a game anymore. We're 4 months in and I still sometimes wake up thinking we've made a...
My wife keeps suggesting meditation and I'm skeptical but I downloaded Calm last week for like $80/year. Did 3 sessions so far and honestly the 10-minute ones actually help me wind down before bed. Not a miracle but cheaper than therapy and I can do it at 9pm without leaving the house. Wondering if ...
That hit different. I didn't even realize I was being that obvious about my depression until my kid called it out. He asked if he did something wrong and my heart just broke. Made an appointment with my doctor that day. Not even going to wait around for him to internalize my mental health struggles....
Started freelance writing gigs on Upwork about 4 months ago, squeezing in work during naptime and after bedtime. Hit $200 this week! It's not going to replace my job or anything, but it's nice to have my own money and feel like I'm doing something for myself. My wife thinks I'm crazy for adding more...
Honestly thought he'd complain the whole time but he actually stepped up. We did about 15 miles a day over 3 days, camped at state parks, and cooked everything on a camp stove. He navigated using maps (no GPS allowed - my rule), set up his own tent, and only complained once which is honestly a win. ...
This is embarrassing but my 6yo asked me today what I do at work and I literally sat there trying to explain financial systems auditing to a first grader. Just kept saying "um... numbers? And making sure they're correct?" My wife was losing it. Made me realize I probably don't even fully understand ...
Been there 8 years and finally made senior manager. Honestly I was so tired from being up at 2am with the baby that I almost forgot about the interview. Pulled it together though and my wife is throwing a little thing this weekend. Feels good to show the boys that hard work pays off. Plus the raise ...
Been putting this off for like 2 years. Kept thinking I could just manage it myself or that it wasn't "bad enough" for meds. Had a panic attack at my son's soccer game last weekend (couldn't even catch my breath) and finally called my GP. Got prescribed sertraline, started it last week. Haven't fel...
Christmas is 4 months away and my ex is already making demands about having the kids from Dec 24-26 when the agreement says I get them the 25th. She's claiming "it's traditional" even though we've only been separated for 2 years. Do I need to stick to what's written or try to work something out? I ...
4 weeks in. Haven't slept more than 90 minutes straight in what feels like forever. Time moves weird now. Did I shower today? No idea. Are my socks matching? Don't care. I saw my reflection in the bathroom mirror this morning and genuinely didn't recognize myself. My coworkers have started asking if...
We had a good 18 months where I could mostly stay local. Now my company is doing quarterly conferences and they're "encouraging" attendance. Next one is in Vegas for 4 days in March. My kids are 7, 5, and 2. I'm gone one week a month as it is for client visits. Adding these conferences on top feels...
We're attempting our first real camping trip in 3 weeks. Got a Coleman 6-person tent, sleeping bags, the works. Our kids are 3, 5, and 7. I keep hearing horror stories about middle-of-the-night wake-ups and arguments over bathroom trips. Should we do a backyard test run first, or just rip the band-a...
So my 11yo lied about homework being done when it wasn't. I found out from his teacher. We've already taken away screen time and made him redo it but now I'm not sure if I should do something else? Like is this just normal preteen stuff or should I be more concerned? He's generally a good kid so thi...
My oldest (15) doesn't want to see me anymore. Says "mom says you were mean to her" and now refuses to come to my house. Her mom isn't answering calls about it, just keeps saying "she doesn't want to come, respect her choice." I WAS NOT MEAN. We had normal disagreements. Now my daughter's been infl...