Started this a few months ago and my oldest was embarrassed at first but now it's just what we do. His friends think it's weird but I'd rather raise men who know how to show respect. My wife noticed and I caught her smiling about it. This is how we build character, one small action at a time.
My daughter said today was the best lunch ever. I made a little bento box with her favorite sandwich cut into shapes, some fruit, yogurt, and a note saying she's awesome. She actually ate everything instead of trading it away. Small win but I'm taking it.
Made a rule last week that phones stay in the kitchen during meals. Thought there'd be mutiny but we actually had some decent conversations. My teenager even laughed at one of my jokes which felt like winning the lottery. Doing it again tonight.
Used to be out 3-4 nights a week, sleeping till noon on weekends, spending money like it grew on trees. Now I'm the guy meal prepping on Sunday and getting excited about a good night's sleep. My wife jokes that I've become someone's father and I'm like yeah no shit that's literally what happened lol...
He keeps saying all his friends have it and I'm the mean dad. I've read too much about the algorithm and how it affects kids his age, plus I've seen some of the stuff on there. I let him have Instagram with restrictions but TikTok feels different. He's a good kid, decent grades, but I'm not comforta...
My son has been asking to play on the iPad more and I feel like every parent group I'm in has a different opinion. Some people say none, some say hours. We're doing about 30 mins on school days and maybe an hour on weekends. Is that insane? He's doing fine in school, still plays outside, but I worry...
Shook hands with my son's friend last week and the kid barely gripped. No eye contact. Just dead weight in my hand. I'm not one to be overly critical but come on. A man's handshake means something. Been trying to teach my boys that your word and your presence matter. Firm grip, look someone in the e...
My oldest is asking about saving money and investing. I want to encourage responsibility and hard work but I'm terrified of making him materialistic or focused on the wrong things. How do you balance teaching financial wisdom with teaching that money isn't everything? We talk about generosity and gi...
Had a tough conversation yesterday. She said I expect her to keep us grounded in faith but I'm not stepping up as the spiritual leader of our home. I've been defensive about it but she's right. I go to church, I believe, but I'm passive. Not initiating Bible study, not praying with intention, not se...
Been working from home for 8 months now and I have to say it's completely changed things for me. I'm actually present for lunch with the kids, I can throw in a load of laundry between meetings, and I'm not wasting 2 hours a day commuting. Sure there are days when it all bleeds together but overall I...
Got home from a work event tonight and felt completely isolated even though I was chatting with people all evening. My wife asked how it went and I couldn't even explain this feeling. I have friends, I have family, but something feels missing. Started journaling about it and wondering if I should ta...
My boy is 6 weeks old and I swear he knows me now. Different cry when I pick him up vs when mom picks him up. Makes eye contact and coos at me. Is that real or am I imagining things because I want it to be true? My dad friends are saying their kids started doing this around 2 months so I think I'm o...
Honestly I need 30 minutes of peace to make dinner without a kid hanging on my leg. I put on some educational YouTube or let them play a tablet game and it's a game changer. I feel guilty about it sometimes but other parents I know do the same thing. My kids are 4 and 6. What's the consensus here on...
We've been doing like 2-3 hours on weekends and I know that's bad. School's been insane, I've been working more, and honestly the pandemic got us into bad habits that we haven't broken. I want to cut it back but when I try to limit it my kids lose their minds. Any of you gone through screen time det...
Thought it would be fun to hit up the local trails with my 7 and 9 year old. Didn't pack nearly enough water or snacks. By mile 3 my youngest was complaining his feet hurt and asking why we even came out here. But then we hit this overlook point and they both went quiet taking it all in. Made them f...