3 and 5 year old, 45 minute drive to visit grandparents. They fight the entire way every single time. I've tried: - Separating them (car seats are where they are) - Audio books - Snacks - iPad (last resort) Nothing works for the full drive. What am I missing here? Other dads with 2+ kids close in a...
After 4 years of absolute chaos every single night, we've somehow stumbled into a routine that actually works. 7:30 bath, 7:50 stories, 8:15 lights out. No negotiating, no "one more thing," no crying. My wife and I literally just looked at each other last night like... is this our life now? We even ...
So according to our agreement: she gets Thanksgiving odd years, I get Thanksgiving even years. I get Christmas morning, she gets Christmas afternoon (which is honestly terrible). New Year's alternates. My kids are 8 and 11. This year my parents are all gathering for Christmas for probably the last t...
Taking the family from Denver to Moab and back over 5 days. Kids are 6, 9, and 11. Want to do some actual activities/hikes but also don't want to be the family that exhausts everyone. Currently thinking: drive to Moab day 1, spend 2 days exploring Arches/Canyonlands (kid-friendly trails), then spend...
Planning our first real camping trip with our daughter who just turned 4. We have a decent tent and sleeping bags, but I'm wondering if there's anything specific that makes it easier for little kids? She gets cold easily if that matters. Looking for real suggestions not just "bring snacks lol"
We're 2 years into the split and my 16yo still gets grumpy/withdrawn on the day he switches houses. Doesn't matter which direction - he comes to me sullen, stays that way for a few hours, then loosens up. Goes to his mom's place, same thing. I haven't mentioned it because I don't want to make it wei...
So I've been really cynical about video games as a waste of time, but my 13yo has been playing Minecraft and actually started coding mods for it through this YouTube channel. Now we play together sometimes and honestly? It's the best conversations we've had in months. He explains his builds, shows m...
Feels weird even saying it out loud. The opportunity came up last week and 6 months ago I would've jumped at it. But it's a director role that basically requires 50+ hour weeks and travel to our New York office twice a month. My boys are 4 and 6. I coach my older son's soccer team on Thursdays. I'm...
Not in a sad way, just real. My kids are 4 and 7, and some days feel manageable and other days I feel like I'm drowning. People keep saying "just wait, middle school is worse" or "the teenage years are hard." Like... when does it actually get easier? Or is this just the reality now? Asking for a fri...
Had a call with a client today while the kids were supposed to be napping. My 4-year-old somehow figured out how to unplug my monitor, mouse, keyboard, and printer, then proceeded to use them as "hockey sticks" with a tennis ball. By the time I heard the crashing sounds, there was already a dent in ...
Things have been civil but tense. Last week I mentioned (via text) that I might be going back to school. My ex immediately assumed I was planning to cut child support and accused me of being selfish. I wasn't even discussing that - I was just mentioning it. Now she's saying she wants to "formalize ...
We went camping last month and I packed all this stuff to cook over the fire - foil packet dinners, hot dogs, s'mores obviously. My kids brought their own peanut butter sandwiches and ate those every single meal. Like actually refused to even try anything else. I get that camping is different and ma...
My 5yo started kindergarten and she's having trouble adjusting between my place and mom's place. Different routines, different expectations, different kids in the neighborhood. Our schedule is 50/50 which seemed fair on paper but now I'm wondering if it's too much bouncing around for a kindergartner...
Not sure if I should be impressed or concerned lol. He somehow got into settings and just... turned it off. I didn't even know that was possible without the restrictions passcode. Now he's claiming he needs "unlimited time for educational purposes" which is obviously BS but also kind of a power move...
Been having my boys help me work on the truck every Saturday morning. No phones, no distractions, just me teaching them how to handle a wrench and take pride in fixing something with their own hands. Last week my oldest actually understood what I was showing him and the look on his face when it clic...