I don't even know why but every time it's my day to pick up the kids, I get this knot in my chest the hour before. We've been separated for 3 years. It's fine. We're not fighting. The exchanges are smooth. But I'm still anxious every single time. Anyone else deal with this or am I just weird?
Do you count commute time in your "work hours" when thinking about work-life balance? Like my actual work is 9-5 but I'm in the car 7:30-8:45am and 5:15-6:45pm. That's 2+ hours a day just... gone. Anyone else feel like this shouldn't be invisible time?
She's 7 and picked up the first Wings of Fire book like three weeks ago. We weren't sure she'd stick with it since she usually loses interest after a few pages. But she's been devouring it. Watched her turn the last page yesterday and just beam at me. Now she wants the entire series. This is the bes...
Got it from Dick's for like $80 and bolted it to the garage wall. My kids fight less now because they actually have something to do besides beg me for screen time. Also my 7yo is actually getting decent at shooting. Highly recommend if you're in a cold climate and need indoor activities. Amazon has ...
My 11yo has been absolutely refusing to help in the kitchen for years. Last Saturday I let him pick whatever he wanted to make and we did homemade pizza from scratch. He was SO into it - kneading the dough, making his own sauce, deciding toppings. Even asked if we can do it again next weekend! Think...
I work in sales and it's draining. Come home and literally have nothing left. My wife says I'm "checked out" during family time but like... I have no energy to engage. I'm not scrolling my phone (well, not MUCH) but I'm just sitting there. Anyone relate? How do you flip the switch?
Want to take the family hiking more (kids are 5 and 7) but it gets cold here in Denver. Do I need to go crazy with special jackets and boots or can we just bundle up in regular stuff? What about hand warmers - gimmick or actually useful? We're looking at easy trails, nothing intense. Just want to g...
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 ...