Haven't been fishing since college. Recently drove by my old fishing spot and got all nostalgic. I've got two kids now ages 6 and 9 and think it could be cool to take them out sometime. Only problem is I have zero clue what I'm doing anymore and don't want to spend a ton of money on gear I might not...
Worked nights for 5 years as a nurse. Got used to sleeping during the day, being awake when the family was going to bed. It was brutal but the extra pay was good. Finally got a day shift position and made the switch last month. My body is still adjusting to actually sleeping normal hours but being a...
Been working from home for 2 years now and it's been great for family time, especially after the kids get home from school. But here's the thing - I literally cannot disconnect. I'm answering emails at 9pm, checking Slack while eating dinner, and my wife had to tell me to put my phone down last week...
Got married at 28, became a dad at 30, and now at 35 I'm the guy who meal preps on Sundays and knows the best deals at Target. Five years ago I'd sleep until noon on weekends and go out whenever. Now I'm in bed by 10 because my daughter wakes up at 6am and I actually WANT that sleep. I used to play ...
Finally admitted to myself that I need help. Been white knuckling through life as a dad for years, pretending everything's fine when I'm honestly exhausted and burnt out. Found a therapist and had my first session yesterday. Nervous but also relieved. Wanted to post this because I know there's proba...
Planning our first real camping trip with our 2 year old and I'm nervous as hell. We've done backyard camping but actual campground is different. What should I pack? Any tips for keeping a toddler entertained without screens? Also how early do kids usually sleep when camping or does it not matter?
Been a lurker here but wanted to share something that actually worked for us. Instead of just telling my kids no more screens, we made a deal where they earn screen time by doing specific things like reading, playing outside, or helping with chores. Sounds cheesy but my 10yo and 6yo actually get exc...
So I was helping my son troubleshoot his laptop and noticed Discord in his taskbar. Turns out he's been in some gaming server with like 200 people and hasn't told us. He got defensive when I asked about it. Should I be worried? Is Discord okay for this age or am I being paranoid? He says all his fri...
Out of nowhere this morning my 9-year-old just said 'Dad you're the best dad ever' and gave me a hug. I wasn't even doing anything special, just making breakfast. But man that hit different. Sometimes you feel like you're failing at this parenting thing and then your kid says something like that and...
I'm making decent money at my current job but the hours are insane and I barely see my kids during the week. They're only little once and I'm starting to wonder if the extra 40k a year is worth missing so much of their childhood. My wife thinks I'm crazy for even considering a pay cut but she also t...
This might sound small but my boy just sat down and read the entire 'Frog and Toad' book without help. He's been struggling with reading and we've been doing extra practice but today he just grabbed the book and read it. When he finished he looked at me with the biggest smile. Made me tear up a litt...
This app is ruining her. She's scrolling for hours, staying up until midnight, her grades are slipping. I tried taking the phone away but she just gets it from her friends or uses the computer. I blocked the app on her device but she found a workaround I don't even understand. How do parents actuall...
Work is fine, got coworkers, go to my kids soccer games, but I feel like I'm just going through the motions every day. No one really knows me. My buddies are all about their work drama and fantasy football, nobody checks in on how I'm actually doing. Started wondering if this is just what being an a...
Called in sick to work even though I'm not physically sick. Just needed a day to not pretend everything is fine. Been running on empty for months and finally hit a wall. Told the boss I had a migraine, which technically isn't a lie but not the whole truth either. Spending today just existing, no pro...
My 11yo wants to play online games with friends every night after school. I've set it to 1 hour on weekdays, 2 hours on weekends. He thinks I'm the meanest dad alive. But I see kids at school who barely talk to anyone in person because they're always gaming. Just wondering if anyone else has found a...