Not really asking about specific milestones, more like when did parenting feel less like you were just keeping them alive and more like they were actually... a person? Like when could you have real interactions instead of just responding to needs constantly?

I leave the office at 5:30 most days, home by 6. So I'm there for dinner, bath time, bedtime stories. Sounds perfect right? Except I'm checking Slack the entire time. Last night my 5yo asked me a direct question three times before I heard him because I was reading an email about tomorrow's standup. ...

My 9yo is really into treasure hunts and puzzles. Saw geocaching mentioned in another thread and it sounds cool but also kinda like I'm just walking my kid around staring at my phone looking for plastic boxes lol. Is it actually engaging or am I gonna get bored after the first two?

Planning our first real camping trip with the kids (5, 8, and 10). We have a tent, sleeping bags, and some basic gear. Going to be at a KOA campground in Colorado for like 4 days. I've been making lists but I feel like I'm still forgetting something obvious. Do you guys have any camping essentials ...

Asking for a friend. (It's me. I'm the friend.) Some days I just sit in the parking lot for 10 mins before heading home and decompress. Work stress + home stress + being "on" all the time is a lot. My therapist says it's fine but I feel like I should just be happy to see my kids? Instead I sometimes...

Our daycare just raised rates to $2,400/month for our 18-month-old. TWENTY-FOUR HUNDRED. That's more than our mortgage payment. My salary after taxes and this daycare bill basically means I'm working for free, and I'm genuinely considering whether it makes sense for me to just stay home. Has anyone ...

Considering it for my 4yo. Does it actually filter the weird stuff or is it just YouTube with extra steps?

So this might be stupid but I need to settle something. My wife makes waffles on weekends and she butters them BEFORE putting them on the plate. I butter them after. She says the warm waffle absorbs it better. I say it's a mess and you can't control it. Who's right here? Or am I overthinking break...

My boys (6 and 9) will demolish pizza and tacos at home but the second we're at a campsite they act like hot dogs and beans are poison. Last trip I brought like $80 worth of snacks and they just wanted white bread. Is this normal or do I have weird kids? How do you guys handle this?

Spent the last 3 weekends building pegboard walls and labeling everything. My wife thinks I'm crazy but man it feels good to know exactly where my tools are. Even got a proper workbench set up now. Gonna make a video tour for my brother because I'm weirdly proud of this.

I get home by 4:30 most days and I should be PRESENT, right? But my brain is mush. I'm not working anymore but I'm scrolling my phone, half-listening to my kids tell me about their day, thinking about emails. My 8yo literally said "Dad you're not even here" last week and it hit different. Anyone fo...

Our 13yo has been dropping hints about 'everyone else has a phone' for like a year. Last weekend we actually sat down and I asked HER what she thought would be a good age and what she'd need to prove first. Turns out she had actual thoughts about it - wanted to start with limited texting only, worri...

Posted here a few months back about struggling with my 9yo's phone usage. We finally got serious about it and here's what actually stuck: - No phones in bedrooms (we literally take them at 8pm) - Trading screen time for other stuff (he gets 30 mins per day he reads for 20 mins) - Making boredom oka...

so I didn't follow the instructions and used WAY too much baking soda. My 6yo got excited and spilled the vinegar jug into the volcano we'd spent an hour making. Red food coloring EVERYWHERE. Kitchen looked like a crime scene. My wife was not amused. Kid thought it was hilarious though so at least ...

FINALLY. Been at this company 4 years and they just updated their policy. My third kid is due in 2 months and I'll actually get to take real time, not just burning through PTO. Plan is to take all 6 weeks - my wife will be dealing with recovery and adjustment, and I want to actually be there this ti...