I've been dealing with anxiety for years but it's gotten so bad lately that I'm snapping at my kids over small stuff and then feeling guilty and spiraling about what kind of dad I am. I catastrophize about everything like if my son has a cough it must be pneumonia or if my daughter is quiet at schoo...
Started seeing a therapist 6 months ago to work through some stuff from my past that I realized was affecting how I parent. It's been rough confronting some hard things but man it's helped. I'm more patient with my kids, less reactive, and I actually understand why I get so angry sometimes. My thera...
Raising a family right means setting the standard. You lead by example, you keep your word, you provide, you listen when your wife has concerns, and you don't complain about the hard days. That's what my dad taught me. I see a lot of guys checking out or expecting credit for basic responsibilities. ...
This might sound small but I've been trying to teach him for like 6 months. Today he just did it without asking for help and I swear I got emotional watching him concentrate so hard on those laces. Took a bunch of photos for his mom. These are the wins that actually matter.
Not gonna lie, I miss sleeping past 6am. I miss spontaneous weeknight beer runs with the boys. I miss my free time and my money and not having to plan every single thing. But I look at my 4 year old right now drawing a picture of me as a superhero and I can't imagine ever going back. So I guess I do...
Hit the range yesterday after not going for like 6 months and man it felt good. Shot an 89 on Sunday which isn't great but way better than the 105s I was getting before. My buddy thinks I should join the club league but that's a lot of money and time away from the family. Worth it?
Got offered a promotion to senior manager yesterday with a 20% raise. Found out this morning we're pregnant with number 3. The promotion comes with more hours, more travel, and more stress right when our family is about to get bigger. Do I take it? Turn it down? My wife says it's my call but that's ...
My 18 month old woke up screaming about a shadow on the wall. I sat there at 3am in the dark making shadow puppets with my phone flashlight until he laughed. My back is killing me, I smell like spit up, and I have a meeting in 4 hours but that laugh made it worth it. This is the real dad life nobody...
Been working from home for 2 years. I get the kids to school, I'm home when they get back, life is manageable. Saw an email yesterday that starting next month we're going back to the office 5 days a week. My kids are 7 and 9, they're old enough to know what's happening and my 7yo already asked if I'...
My 8 year old asked me why I stand up when his mom comes home from work. I explained it's a sign of respect and courtesy. He's started doing it too now. His teacher even mentioned it at parent teacher conferences. Old school manners feel increasingly rare but they still matter. Teaching my kids that...
Taking the kids up to the lake for 3 days. Bringing a cooler full of stuff to grill, the tent, sleeping bags, fishing rods. Pretty basic setup but they've never done an overnight camping trip before so I'm excited to see how they handle it. Any last minute tips? This is gonna be good for them to unp...
Had the family over last Sunday and I noticed nobody really dresses up anymore. Even for a nice meal. I wear a button up, slacks, dress shoes. My brothers show up in joggers and hoodies. Maybe I'm old fashioned but there's something about putting effort into your appearance that shows respect for th...
Wife had a work thing so I packed up the tent and took the boys (8 and 5) out to the lake for two nights. No disasters, got a fire going, caught some small fish, and they actually slept through the night. Coming home they both said it was their best weekend ever. I'm still riding that high.
She's 13 and usually just grunts at me. But today she actually sat down and told me about some stuff going on with her friends at school. We talked for like 45 minutes. I didn't try to fix it, just listened mostly. She said thanks dad before she left. That's a win in my book.
Got offered a director role that would mean 50+ hour weeks and travel. A year ago I would have jumped on it. But my kids are 6 and 8 now and I actually want to be around for this part. Taking the lateral move instead. Anyone else made this call and regret it or feel like you made the right choice?