this has become an issue and I'm not sure if I'm overthinking it. my ex started giving the kids small gifts on Friday when I pick them up (like books or toys). I feel like it's habit-forming and I don't want to compete with that? But also don't want to be that petty dad. Am I reading too much into t...
Baby #2 arrives in October and I'm taking the full 6 weeks my company offers. But honestly? I'm scared shitless about returning to work. With kid #1 (now 4), I went back after 2 weeks and basically ghosted the whole newborn phase. Photos from my phone from month 2-3 are mostly just work stuff. This...
Not gonna lie, used to be a frozen pizza guy. But with my 8yo and 6yo, I realized I was spending evenings cooking and not with them. Now Sundays: I batch cook. Chicken, rice, roasted veggies. Portion it out. During the week, dinner is 15 mins of assembly + eating together. Game changer. My wife th...
He plays with his toy briefcase and "office" every morning before preschool. This morning he asked if I could come to his work too and what I do at my job. Tried to explain I stare at a computer for 8 hours and attend meetings, which he clearly thought was the most boring thing he's ever heard lol. ...
Been freelancing/consulting for 3 years now. The flexibility is legit - I take my kids to school 4x/week, we eat lunch together some days, I can shift my schedule around doctor appointments. BUT: the income is less stable (fluctuates $4-8k/month), I have way less structure so sometimes I work until...
Shout out to whoever recommended those reusable snack containers instead of individual chip bags. Filled them with goldfish, pretzels, and gummy bears for our 6-hour drive to my parents' house. Game changer. Cost like $8 for a set of 4, saves money, less garbage, and my 6yo and 8yo were less hyper t...
Just got back from a 3-day conference for work and I feel like I missed everything. My 7yo was upset I didn't see his soccer game, wife was stressed managing two kids solo, and I'm exhausted. Back to the usual chaos but feeling guilty about missing stuff. Just needed to vent I guess. Anyone else dea...
Been about a month now and it's WORKING. We started letting him pack his own small backpack the night before so he feels more in control of the swap. Also I started picking him up 15 mins early from school instead of right at 3pm so it's less abrupt. No more meltdowns in the car. Sharing because I k...
They did a whole restructure and I was one of the cuts. Haven't told most people because ngl I'm ashamed and also terrified. Have a family to support. My 3yo and 9yo don't really know what's happening but my wife is stressed and that's making everything worse. I'm trying to job search but my brain f...
Used to get burned out at work and I could just... decompress. Take a day off, go for a hike, whatever. Now I'm burned out at work AND when I get home there's no decompression. It's just more stuff. More demands. More noise. I love my kids (5, 7, 9) but some days I feel like I'm drowning and there'...
YouTube University came through. Spent 45 minutes watching videos, $12 on a replacement cartridge, and boom—no more drip. My wife seemed genuinely shocked I didn't make it worse. Feeling pretty handy right now ngl.
I blow up at my kids over small stuff and immediately feel horrible. The typical advice is "count to ten" or "take a deep breath" but honestly those feel too slow when I'm already mad. My 6yo is getting nervous around me which is the wake up call I needed. Has anyone found actual techniques that wor...
I've been in finance for 12 years. Good salary, benefits, but I hate it and I'm never home. Twin boys are 5 now and I want to actually know them. I'm thinking about going back for a teaching credential. It would mean a salary cut (we can handle it) but summers and school hours = more time with my k...
Not angry, not upset at the baby, just... annoyed at the sound? My daughter is almost 3 months and when she cries hard I feel this flash of irritation before the instinct to help kicks in. My wife seems concerned when I mentioned it. But like, she's crying at an ear-piercing frequency - that's liter...
So my son wanted to build a birdhouse for his school project. My first instinct was to basically do it for him and make it look amazing. Instead I just handed him the materials and let him go. It's... not great. Crooked, nails are wonky, one side doesn't even close properly. But his face when he fin...