My 14yo is asking for TikTok. We said no Instagram yet because of time-suck concerns but TikTok feels even worse?? The algorithm is basically designed to be addictive. But also like... every teen has it and maybe I'm being paranoid. What's your stance on this? Is there a meaningful difference betwe...
It's Saturday. My kids know it's Saturday. But apparently their internal clocks disagree with the concept of sleeping past 6am. Meanwhile I'm over here like "remember when we could sleep until 8?" My 9yo was literally jumping on the bed at 5:47am asking if it was time for breakfast yet. Time to inve...
Did a 185lb clean and jerk! I've been going 3x a week for about 8 months now and this is the first time I've felt like the training is actually paying off. My knees are SHOT but totally worth it lol. Dropped my son off at his grandma's place so I could go work out guilt-free. Little wins, right?
My 13yo just casually told me about his day - like really told me about it - during the drive home. Genuine conversation, not one-word answers. I think something shifted this year. He's becoming an actual person with opinions and stories instead of just my kid. It's wild and a little bittersweet? An...
My boys are 6 and 9. The older one played tee ball last year and seemed into it for about 3 games then checked out. Younger one hasn't shown interest yet. My dad was really hoping they'd play and I feel some pressure about it, not gonna lie. But I also don't want to be that guy pushing sports when t...
So I implemented that Talking Parents app I mentioned a few weeks ago. My ex's first message was literally 3 paragraphs about how I need to enforce better bedtime routines. I responded with a fact-based schedule suggestion. You know what she did? Texted my personal phone to complain that I was being...
Why are we handing out trophies to kids who finish last? My 10 year old came home with a medal for losing his baseball tournament and I about lost my mind. What happened to teaching kids that hard work and winning matters? You don't get a participation trophy in real life. This soft generation talk ...
He's been waking up at 5am for the past month and coming into our room. We've tried everything - blackout curtains, a "wake up clock" thing, later bedtimes, earlier bedtimes. Nothing works. Is this just a phase? Any dads dealt with this? I'm losing my mind.
We went to this trail near Boulder that everyone said would be too hard for her age but I packed snacks, brought extra water, and didn't push it. Took it slow, let her stop whenever she wanted, and honestly? She crushed it. 3.2 miles, only complained once (fair), and was SO proud of herself at the e...
Why do they always ask during the ONE time I can't check my email? Now there's only "snack helper for field trip" left and everyone has already claimed the good stuff. My kid is gonna think I don't participate in school activities but I literally CAN'T during my work hours. This system sucks. Do oth...
My son keeps trying to one-up my jokes and honestly half of them don't even make sense but I'm so proud I'm considering recording them. Like today he said 'why did the banana go to the doctor? Because it wasn't peeling good!' He made that up himself and I've never been more afraid of the future.
Never thought I'd tell anyone in my family about this but I texted my brother a few days ago about how I've been struggling since our second kid was born. Instead of judging me or making it weird, he just said 'I've been there' and we talked for like an hour. Turns out HE struggled with the same thi...
No exceptions except school events. Been doing this for two weeks and already seeing them open up more. My oldest talked about his day, my middle shared something bothering him, my youngest just wanted to be near us. Family dinners are where real parenting happens.
Need something that works on Android and iPad for 3 kids (ages 7, 9, 12). Currently using Google Family Link and iOS Screen Time but feeling like I'm missing something. Any of you use actual third-party apps like Bark or OurPact? Worth the money?
Mornings: me = dropoff guy. My commute starts later so I do 7:30am school run with my 2nd grader. Afternoons: wife does pickup because her job is flexible. It's working surprisingly well but some days I'm running 20 mins late to work because of traffic/kid needs. My boss hasn't said anything yet bu...