Manager was pretty cool about it but yeah, hard to stay focused at 100% when you've got family stress, kids getting sick, school pickups, etc. He suggested I 'manage my time better' which feels like a kick in the teeth. It's not like I'm slacking off, I'm just spread thin. Anyone else get dinged for...

So my son told me he didn't eat the cookies that were clearly all over his face and hands. I know kids test boundaries but I want to make sure I'm modeling honesty and teaching him right from wrong the way God would want. Do I punish him or use it as a teaching moment? My wife and I pray with the ki...

Last week took my 5 year old to a decent place. He spent 20 minutes explaining to the waiter how his action figure could defeat the waiter's grandmother. The waiter was not amused. My wife spent the whole meal apologizing. I just ate my pasta and laughed inside.

She wants to move for her boyfriend's job and wants to take the kids. Our order says we need to agree on anything over 50 miles. I obviously don't agree. She's saying it's not fair that I'm stopping her from being happy. But that would cut my time with my kids from 4 days a week to every other weeke...

After months of negotiation I finally got permission to set up a proper man cave in the basement. Got an old couch from a buddy, some shelving for my collection, and a decent sound system. It's nothing crazy just a space where I can watch games, tinker with projects, and not be in everyone's way for...

Started playing Elden Ring after my buddy wouldn't stop talking about it. Man I forgot how much I love gaming but also wow I'm slow at it now. Used to grind through games in college but my reflexes are not what they were. Plus I can only play like 9pm after kids are down and by then I'm exhausted. G...

Nothing beats getting up at 5am, sneaking out while everyone sleeps, and being on the lake by sunrise. Caught 3 smallmouth this morning before the kids woke up. These quiet mornings alone with just my coffee and the water keep me sane. Wife actually gets it now - she sees me come back happier. Think...

Spent the last three weekends building a concrete pad and getting the pergola up over my new grill area. It's not fancy but man it feels good to have a proper setup. Did my first cook out there yesterday, steaks came out perfect. Neighbors are already asking when I'm doing it again lol.

Lost it this morning. My 5 year old asked that and I couldn't stop laughing for like 10 minutes. My wife was not amused. Now he wants to know why we park in driveways and drive on parkways. Send help.

We started having our kids pick out toys they don't play with anymore to donate to the less fortunate kids at church. At first they were resistant but my daughter actually got excited about it. She said she wanted to help kids who don't have toys to play with. We prayed together about it and took th...

I know YouTube Kids is supposed to be safer but my 6 year old somehow ended up watching some weird stuff on there that slipped through. Meanwhile I'm letting him watch YouTube on my account while I cook dinner because at least I can see the history. Am I being naive? What are you guys actually using...

My 13 year old wants to game after homework and it's become a point of conflict. He says 2 hours is normal but school nights he's losing sleep and grades are slipping. He keeps arguing that his friends all play more. I'm trying to be the cool dad but also not ruin his future. How are you guys settin...

My kid has been obsessed with Fortnite for the last 6 months and I let him play on his Xbox after homework. Problem is he's staying up until 11pm some nights when we've got him on a 10pm bedtime. His grades are slipping and he's tired all the time. I'm thinking about taking the controller away but I...

Just got the email. They say it's for collaboration and company culture. I have a 90 minute commute each way. That's 3 hours a day in the car on top of 8 hours at work. Started looking at other jobs because I'm not doing this. Kids need a present parent more than I need this paycheck. Anyone else de...

Yeah so long story short I was scrolling through old family stuff and found some letters. My mom confirmed it after I asked her about it. Apparently my dad's teenage girlfriend had a kid and gave him up for adoption before my parents got together. This was in the 80s. My dad never told any of us and...