Small win but I'm celebrating it anyway. Spent the day on actual focused work, completed a deliverable, sent it to the client before 5pm, and picked up my kid on time without that "running late and stressed" feeling. It's not usually like this. Usually I'm juggling both things and doing neither grea...
Real talk - is there such a thing? My in-laws keep saying I need to "let her cry and self-soothe" but she's 6 weeks old. I feel like the whole "you can't spoil a newborn" thing is true but I'm paranoid I'm being overindulgent. When I hold her she settles immediately. When I put her down she cries. S...
Our second kid was born 6 weeks ago and I feel horrible. I know that sounds dramatic but I'm not joking. I'm not bonding with the baby the way I did with our first. I feel trapped and resentful, which makes me feel guilty. I keep thinking "this was my choice, what is wrong with me?" My wife is postp...
My 5yo was having a full tantrum at the grocery store and instead of handling it I basically froze and just left her in the cart while I went to get what we needed. Looking back that's probably not great parenting lol. But in the moment I just couldn't. Couldn't deal with the noise, the eyes on us, ...
We spent last Saturday afternoon throwing together a basic platform in the oak tree in our backyard. Nothing fancy—2x8s, some lag bolts, a rope ladder. My kid helped drill holes and carry lumber, which honestly took 3x longer but watching him figure out the drill was worth it. The thing held both of...
Quick backstory: My kids are now 12 and 14. Our custody agreement from way back said EOW and alternating weeks in summer. But my oldest wants to do clubs at school, my youngest has been getting into sports on specific nights. Both things that don't align with our schedule at all. Had a conversation ...
And honestly it was the most beautiful thing I've experienced as a dad. He just prayed with such pure faith and simplicity. Asked Jesus to help his little sister with her fears, thanked God for our dog, asked Him to help daddy be patient. My wife and I were both tearing up. These moments remind me w...
Took three personal days last month and told my boss it was for mental health reasons. Didn't elaborate. Spent two days just... existing. Played video games, went on walks, didn't talk to anyone. Third day I did yard work. Came back feeling 40% better and surprise - my inbox was fine, my clients sur...
Saturday morning, standing on the sidelines watching my 6yo play, and suddenly I'm sweating, my heart's racing, can't catch my breath. Had to walk away, sat in the car for 15 mins. Wife was watching the kids so she handled it but now I'm dreading the next game. What if it happens again? What if othe...
Been seeing a therapist for 3 weeks now after my wife basically dragged me to find someone. First two sessions I just sat there not talking much, very defensive. But last Wednesday something clicked and I actually cried talking about how much pressure I feel to be the 'provider' and 'fixer' of every...
Been helping my 14 year old rebuild an old truck engine with me and I gotta say watching him figure stuff out has been incredible. He's more focused, more confident. Not everything should be a screen. Kids need to understand how things work and feel proud of building something. Anyone else doing pro...
Every family gathering, work event, whatever - people ask about the kids. "How's soccer going? Getting good grades? Cute new haircut!" And it's all fine, whatever. But I can't remember the last time someone asked me how I'm actually doing. Like my mental health, my work stuff, my feelings. I know th...
Our 3-month-old has silent reflux and it's absolutely brutal. She's uncomfortable, spitting up constantly, arching her back, not sleeping well. The pediatrician prescribed Zantac but we heard about the recall and now we're paranoid. They want us to try Nexium but that's not even FDA approved for kid...
We spent $400 on this Halo bassinet and our boy will NOT sleep in it. The second we put him down he screams like we're abandoning him. We've ended up cosleeping (safely, I've done the research) which is fine but now I'm wondering if we wasted money. Did anyone's kid eventually accept the bassinet or...
We used to decide to take a weekend trip on Thursday and just go. Now I need to coordinate sitters, pack 47 items we probably don't need, and plan our entire day around nap schedules. I love my kid but man I miss being able to just... do things without a production. Anyone figure out how to get ANY ...