Just finished a kitchen renovation I promised my wife 8 months ago. It's done and looks great. Her dad called me after and said he was proud of me for following through no matter how long it took. That hit different. In a world where everyone flakes on their word it's rare to see a man who does what...
When my oldest was born I just let myself go completely. Got up to like 230 lbs, didn't recognize myself in photos. Last year my wife basically gave me an ultimatum, not about my weight but about my energy and being present with the kids. Started going to the gym at 5am before they wake up. Down 35 ...
I'm not going to lie, I'm tearing up a little writing this. My 10 year old got $50 for his birthday and instead of asking for video games or whatever, he asked if we could give it to the homeless shelter downtown. We didn't push him toward this at all. We just try to serve as a family once a month a...
Most of my buddies don't have kids yet and they still want to go out drinking till 2am on weekends. I can't do that anymore and now it feels like they don't really get it. I've tried talking to the other dads at school pickup but it's hard to connect when you're all just trying to get through the da...
I've been working from home for 18 months now and I'm honestly dreading going back to the office. I get to have lunch with my kids, pick them up from school, be there for the little moments. My boss is pushing everyone back 3 days a week and I'm trying to figure out how to handle this conversation. ...
Told him it's not some old fashioned thing, it's doing the right thing when nobody's watching and when it costs you something. It's apologizing to your mother when you're wrong even though your pride doesn't want to. It's treating people with respect regardless of their status. It's keeping your com...
Taking my family of four camping next month for the first time. We're going to a nearby state park for just one night to start easy. Got a tent, sleeping bags, and Coleman stove all set. Any tips for keeping kids entertained around the campfire without a screen? Also what's the deal with bears, shou...
So I decided to build a deck extension without asking my wife first. Spent $2000, took over the whole backyard, and now she's barely talking to me. The deck looks amazing and the kids love it but apparently I should have discussed it with her? I genuinely thought she'd be excited. Lesson learned I g...
Never been more grateful for baby wipes in my entire life. That was an experience I wasn't prepared for. Got poop on my shirt, the changing table, somehow the wall. My daughter found the whole thing hilarious which honestly made it better. I'm learning that half of this job is just laughing at the c...
My wife is 8 weeks postpartum and we're not physically close at all. I'm not trying to pressure her or anything, I know she needs time to heal and she's exhausted from feeding. But I'm starting to feel disconnected from her. We're like roommates managing a baby instead of partners. Is this temporary...
Been in the same job for 18 years. Could've hopped around for better pay but I wanted stability for my family. My boys see me go to work every day, come home, and be present. They see me handling problems without complaining and doing what needs to be done. That's the kind of man I want them to beco...
Taking the family camping for the first time this summer with our 5 year old and 2 year old. We're renting a cabin so not full tent camping but still need to pack everything. Got the usual stuff - clothes, toiletries, bug spray, sunscreen. I feel like there's always something we forget. Anyone do a ...
Just wanted to share something that's been helping. Instead of just saying no to screens, we set up a reward system. My 6yo and 9yo earn screen time by reading, doing chores, playing outside. Sounds complicated but it's actually easier than fighting about it every single day. They're more interested...
Took my 12yo fishing for the first time last weekend. Just us at a local lake for 4 hours. He caught 2 fish and barely spoke the whole time and it was perfect. We're already planning the next trip. I realize now how much I needed that one-on-one time with him. My youngest will get his own trips soon...
So my 7 year old had his first soccer game today and he spent most of it picking dandelions in the outfield. When the ball actually came near him he panicked and kicked it backwards into our own goal. I've never been more proud. That's my boy.