Took my 3 kids on a road trip and we stopped at a gas station bathroom. The smell. The mystery puddles. A toilet paper dispenser that had clearly seen better days. I stood there thinking 'every dad has been here.' It's like an initiation ritual. The fluorescent lights, the fear that the door won't l...
First time taking the family camping and I'm probably overthinking this way too much. Got a tent, sleeping bags, some basic stuff planned. Anyone have tips for keeping kids entertained when there's no wifi or screens? And how much food should I actually pack because I have no idea what I'm doing. My...
My 8 year old came home last week repeating stuff my ex said about me being irresponsible with money and how I don't contribute enough for their activities. I know she's angry but I'm trying so hard to be the better person and never say anything negative about her to the kids. It kills me though. Do...
This is the third time in two months she's asked to swap weekends with literally a few days notice. I get that life happens but I've got plans with the kids already booked and it messes with my work schedule. How do you guys handle this without being the bad guy? I don't want to be difficult but I a...
Been going for about 6 weeks now and I'm noticing real changes. Therapist helped me see that a lot of my stress comes from trying to be perfect all the time. Been able to say no to some stuff at work and spending more time actually playing with my kids instead of just existing in the same room. Stil...
Moved for work and now I'm 2 hours away from the kids. Their mom wants to keep them on the same school schedule but I want to see them more than just weekends. We're talking about trying a 3-2-2-3 schedule but logistics are killing us. Gas alone is gonna be insane. Has anyone made long distance co-p...
Not gonna lie, I was dreading this camping trip. Thought it would be a disaster with my 5 and 8 year old. We went for 3 days, caught some fish, made a fire, told ghost stories. The kids fell asleep before dark every night and my oldest actually put his phone down the whole time. Best weekend we've h...
So this summer I decided to finally build that treehouse my 6 year old has been asking about for two years. Spent about 6 weekends on it, watched a ton of YouTube videos, and somehow didn't kill myself. We finished it last month and watching him up there with his friends has been absolutely worth ev...
Finally have some peace and quiet after the kids are in bed and I've been binge watching this show everyone keeps talking about. I'm only a few episodes in but it's actually pretty good. Anyone else watching? No spoilers please I'm still early.
My 10yo is asking for a Switch and I'm trying to figure out if I'm being too strict or not strict enough. Right now he gets maybe 1 hour on weekends, no screens on school nights. His friends all have Switches and talk about Fortnite constantly. I want him to have fun but I also don't want to be the ...
Honestly the transition has been wild. I used to close bars at 3am, sleep til noon, spend my paychecks on concert tickets and random road trips. Now I'm up at 6am, I know all the words to every Disney movie, and I'm genuinely excited about organizing the garage. I miss the money and the social scene...
My 14 year old came home with a D on his math test. My first instinct was to ground him and hire a tutor but my old man called me out on it. He said sometimes a boy needs to taste disappointment to understand consequences. So instead of punishing him I sat down and asked what went wrong. Turns out h...
After months of pitching it to my boss I can now work from home 3 days a week. Should be thrilled right? But I'm anxious about what everyone at the office thinks. Like am I going to get passed over for promotions because I'm not there? And honestly sometimes working from the couch while my kids are ...
Went to the store with my 5 year old and she asked why there were so many cereal choices. I told her 'because there are a lot of choices in life and you have to pick wisely.' She picked Froot Loops. Then I realized I sound like my dad and I'm not even 40 yet.
Took my oldest out to the lake last weekend for the first time since I was in college. Grabbed a couple budget rods from walmart and some basic tackle. We didn't catch anything but just being out on the water early in the morning while it was quiet was amazing. My son asked a million questions about...