Looking for books, podcasts, articles, anything really about maintaining a sense of self while being a parent. I feel like I've read 500 sleep training guides but nothing about keeping your own mental health in check and not losing who you are. Surely this is something other guys have dealt with? Wo...
My wife basically told me I need to get help or she's done. Fair, I guess. I get SO mad at stupid stuff - kids being kids, traffic, articles online, doesn't matter. I yell, I throw things sometimes, I scare my kids. I hate that version of myself but I can't seem to stop it. The therapist she found s...
Posted back in January about using beer as my coping mechanism and y'all gave real talk. I'm not gonna lie and say I'm cured or whatever, but I've been sober for 3 months now. Found an AA sponsor, taking it seriously. My kids actually ask to hang out with me now instead of hiding when I come home. M...
Not in a bad way necessarily, just different. My wife and I used to actually talk about stuff beyond logistics and baby updates. Last week we both just stared at the wall for 20 minutes after the baby finally went down instead of like, actually connecting. We're not fighting or anything, we're just ...
Left a stable $130k role in May to do consulting. Wanted flexibility, wanted to be there for pickup, wanted to call my own shots. Pros: I've actually made 3 pickups this year. Kids barely recognize me from before but we're getting there. Cons: Income is spotty af, I'm stressed constantly about mon...
My son is 6 weeks old and I'm not gonna lie, the constant anxiety is exhausting. Is he eating enough? Why is he crying? Is that rash normal? Should we call the pediatrician? He spit up a little more than usual today and I nearly had a panic attack. I'm a reasonably competent adult in other areas of ...
I work with a bunch of guys who I genuinely like and respect. We hang out on weekends sometimes. But I feel like I'm hiding a huge part of who I am by not talking about my faith more openly. I don't want to be that guy who's always preaching but I also feel like I'm being a coward. How do you balanc...
My doc suggested I try SSRIs for anxiety and I'm hesitant. I keep thinking I should be able to handle this on my own, like it means I'm failing somehow? But then I realize that's dumb—I'd take insulin if I needed it. Anyone here on meds? How long did it take to notice a difference? Any side effects ...
I swear my 10yo has developed a physical reaction to my jokes. It's like he can sense them coming. Even the good ones get eye rolls. Am I just bad at timing or is this part of the contract of being a dad?
So my 10-year-old comes home asking why the Hendersons are filling their hot tub in the backyard at 9pm. I guess he was being nosy looking over the fence. Had this whole conversation about privacy and minding our own business while internally wondering the same thing. Ended up being a surprisingly g...
I make $75k gross. After taxes ($15k), my wife's full-time daycare costs ($21k), and commuting/lunch out ($4k), my actual take-home is... basically nothing. So technically I work full-time to break even. Which sounds bonkers when I type it out. Wife thinks I should stay home but we'd lose my benefit...
Looking for someone who specializes in dad anxiety/stress. Ideally someone who gets the specific pressure of being the "breadwinner" type role while also wanting to be present at home. Insurance is Aetna if that matters. Any recommendations from folks in the PNW? Or even just advice on how to find a...
Seriously. My house is not clean. My car has a thousand snack crumbs. I'm wearing the same 3 shirts on rotation. But my kids are thriving and I'm not stressed all the time. Used to be the guy who had to have everything perfect and organized. Now I'm just trying to keep everyone alive and happy. Game...
Quick celebration post because I need to document this before I jinx it: our 6 month old slept through the entire night. All of it. No dream feed, no 3am wake up, nothing. She went down at 7:45pm and didn't wake until 6:30am. I honestly don't know what changed. We started putting her down more cons...
Not an ad or whatever but genuinely surprised by how much I'm using it. Has specific meditations for parents/stress and some are literally like 5 minutes so I can do them during my commute. $70/year seems expensive until you realize you're paying for mental health and I'll spend that on coffee in 2 ...