I've been thinking about this a lot lately. The way I treat my wife is exactly what my kids think is normal. I should be opening doors, helping with dinner, listening when she talks instead of checking my phone. Not because I have to, but because she deserves it. That's what I want my boys to unders...

Saw a recipe online and decided to make paella for Sunday dinner. Looked way easier than it actually is. Burned the bottom, rice was kind of crunchy, the saffron was expensive and I don't think I used it right. My wife was really nice about it and the kids actually ate it though. Pretty sure next ti...

I let my son watch iPad videos while I make dinner and I feel guilty about it. My wife thinks it's fine for like 30 mins a day, her sister says any screen time is basically brain damage. What's the actual science on this? He's smart, pays attention to us, plays outside. I'm not trying to let him zon...

I have a 6 and an 8 year old who fight constantly. Over everything. Today I took them to the lake and they actually played together the whole time without one argument. Built a sand castle, went swimming, just vibed. Wife couldn't believe it when we got home. I'm not sure what I did different but I'...

Wife has to travel for work sometimes and when the kids get sick during those weeks I lose it. Can't take off work but can't focus because I'm worried about them. Tried working with my 7 year old home with a fever once and just gave up after an hour. Feels like I have to choose between being a good ...

First night this week I actually have free time to hop on and play some Madden with my old college friends. We do this every other Friday and it's the one thing that keeps me sane. Wife is taking the kids to her mom's so I've got till midnight. Who else still games after having kids?

I yelled at my kids this afternoon over something stupid and afterward my oldest came to me and said 'Dad, I thought Christians are supposed to be patient.' Man, that hit me hard. He's right. I've been preaching about living out our faith but not actually walking it. Started praying about it tonight...

This weekend was rough but worth it. Got the family out to Cedar Ridge for three days. My oldest kept asking when we could go home by hour two. By Sunday morning they didn't want to leave. We hiked about 5 miles Saturday, cooked over a fire, told stories. My 5yo fell asleep in the tent at like 7pm. ...

Been thinking about how we teach our boys about being gentlemen. It's not about being soft or weak. It's about standing for something. Being reliable. Keeping your word even when it costs you. Protecting those who can't protect themselves. These are old school values but they matter now more than ev...

She introduced the kids to her boyfriend after like 2 months of dating. They're 6 and 8. I don't even know this guy and now he's at pickup doing dad stuff with my kids. My lawyer said I don't have legal grounds to stop it unless there's a safety issue. How do I handle this without making my ex mad b...

Just needed to share this somewhere. She was having a rough morning and I made her laugh by doing my dumb dinosaur impression. She hugged me and said 'Daddy, you're my favorite person in the whole world.' Man, these moments make all the hard stuff worth it.

This has been happening for 3 weeks now. I'll plan my work around our custody schedule and then she texts me an hour before pickup saying she needs to switch days. I work construction and can't just leave a job site whenever. I've tried being nice about it but it's getting ridiculous. Do I need to g...

Put my son to bed last night and told him sleep is just a trial for death. Wife shot me a look and told me to get out of the room. I said okay I'm leaving, don't want to be around for the existential crisis I just caused. He cried laughing though so I'm calling it a win. Parenting is weird man.

Just gave my oldest my grandfathers Rolex for his high school graduation. That watch has been in our family for 60 years. Told him that passing it on means he's now responsible for carrying forward what our family stands for. The weight of that moment hit different when I saw his face. Some things c...

My neighbor borrowed my tools six months ago and hasn't returned them. It's bothering me more than it probably should, but here's the thing: it's not really about the tools. It's about his word. He said he'd return them in a week. That's a breach of honor, even if it seems small. I finally asked him...