So I got one of those Treehouse Masters YouTube rabbit holes last month and decided we'd build something in our oak tree in the backyard. Spent maybe $400 on materials from Lowe's and used mostly 2x8 pressure treated lumber. My son was OBSESSED the whole time, even helped me drill holes (with superv...
Poll basically - what age and what kind? My 10yo is begging for one because apparently she's the ONLY one in her class without a phone (doubt it but whatever). I'm thinking maybe 12-13 with a basic Android and parental controls locked down hard. But honestly not sure if I'm being reasonable or overp...
Okay so my 14yo daughter was absolutely glued to TikTok - like 4-5 hours a day easy. Her grades were tanking, she wasn't sleeping, and honestly her anxiety went through the roof (I think the algorithm was feeding her weird stuff). We went nuclear about 3 weeks ago - uninstalled the app, took her pho...
My manager approved "flexible hours" but here's what actually happened: I started going 7-3:30 so I could pick up from daycare and handle bedtime. Seemed great. But I'm still expected in meetings at 4pm. People message me at 5pm about urgent stuff. I can't actually leave at 3:30 because "just one mo...
Took way longer than I expected but my 9 and 11 year old helped with pretty much every step. Got them doing actual work—measuring, nailing, problem solving when something didn't fit right. They're so proud of it. Every day after school they go up there. Best investment I've made in their summer hone...
Saw a bunch of these online and wondering if they actually keep kids engaged or if it's just busy work. Looking for something that'll make hiking more interactive for my 6yo who gets bored easily.
Genuinely asking because I have two approaches happening right now. My 6yo's room is a disaster but he plays in there and seems happy. My 11yo's room is also a disaster but he can't find his homework in there and it's becoming a problem. Where's the line between letting them be kids and actually tea...
Baby #2 is due in 6 weeks and I'm trying to figure out my leave situation. Company offers 4 weeks paid but I'm wondering if I can stretch it somehow. My wife gets 12 weeks but her income is higher so I'd rather her have the option to come back if she wants. I've heard some guys talk about taking ad...
Saturday morning I was lowkey nervous about it. By Saturday night we'd done pancakes, played like 47 rounds of Uno, went to the park, and they actually went to bed on time. We didn't have a meltdown. Clothes got changed. Teeth got brushed. Everyone survived. When my wife came downstairs Sunday morni...
Spent last weekend actually FINISHING a project instead of starting five new ones. Got pegboard up, labeled storage bins, my tools are in one place for once. The highlight? Found my drill that's been missing for 6 months. My 11yo actually complimented the setup which basically means I'm dad of the y...
Usually I do the Krusteaz box mix because it's reliable and my kids actually eat it. But my 5yo asked if we could make them "from the real recipe" like her friend's dad does. So I found a basic recipe online and I'm gonna try it Sunday morning. I have low expectations but also low stakes since they...
Asking because my 11yo is the ONLY kid in his class without a phone. I'm not exaggerating. I overheard the kids talking and apparently they're all on Discord/Snapchat/whatever. I feel like I'm being unreasonable but also I'm not ready for that headache yet. My wife thinks I'm being too strict. What'...
We've been doing these for a few months now with the neighborhood kids and it's gotten weirdly competitive. We time them, keep a running scoreboard, have different courses every week. My 8yo has gotten FAST. He's also learned how to lose gracefully which I wasn't expecting as a bonus. All we use is...
Been working on this 350 for my '67 Chevy for like 18 months and today I fired it up. The thing roared to life on like the third try and I legit got emotional. All those nights in the garage, YouTube videos, and mistakes finally paid off. Can't wait to get this truck road ready
So I found out yesterday that my son has been waking up at like 11pm and watching YouTube on his iPad. He's been doing this for who knows how long. I thought I had parental controls set up but apparently he figured out the password somehow (I'm an idiot and used his birthdate). Now I'm paranoid abou...